Date of Award:

5-1981

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Plants, Soils, and Climate

Department name when degree awarded

Plant Science

Committee Chair(s)

William F. Campbell

Committee

William F. Campbell

Committee

Donald Sisson

Committee

Jeff Wagenet

Abstract

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the interactive effects of water salinity, volume of water applied at each irrigation, sodium adsorption ratio and rhizobial strain upon 15 plant growth parameters of Phaseolus vulgaris L. Four levels of water salinity (ECW 0.4, 3.0, 6.0, or 9.0 mmho/cm), three levels of water volume (200, 400, or 800 ml per pot), three levels of SAR (4, 16, or 64) and three strains of Rhizobium phaseoli (K-17, K-47, or K-52) were used. The treatments were replicated with all possible combinations. Data were subjected to analysis of variance, multiple comparisons, and path coefficient analysis.

Significant main effects (P < 0.01) resulted in reduced plant growth and yield response as ECw, SAR, and water volume were increased. Plant growth and yield parameters decreased as ECw increased from 0.4 to 9.0, as SAR increased from 16 to 64 and was water volume decreased from 800 to 200 ml per pot.

The main effects of altering the bacterial strain were not significant (P < 0.01).

Significant (P < 0.01) two way interactions occurred between ECw x SAR, ECw x water volume, and SAR x water volume. The interactions involving bacteria were not significant.

Interactions between ECw and water volume were significant for all of the plant growth and yield parameters. Generally, pods per plant, seeds per pod, seeds per plant, and seed yield responded negatively as water salinity was increased from 3.0 to 9.0 mmho/cm and as water volume decreased from 800 to 200 ml per pot.

The SAR interactions (ECw x SAR and water volume x SAR) were significant only for pods per plant, seeds per plant, and plant height . Responses to these interactions were negative when the SAR was increased from 16 to 64.

Path analysis revealed that the influence of the ECw x Vol, and ECw x SAR interactions on seed yield, came largely through the direct effects of water salinity. Very little influence on correlation with seed yield was assigned to SAR and water volume. Small but significant influences were exerted through SAR and water volume via residual factors acting through SAR and water volume.

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