Copper-Use Efficiency in Dry Bean Genotypes.

Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrients and its deficiency has been reported in many crops including dry bean. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate thirty dry bean genotypes (G) for Cu-use efficiency. The Cu levels used were low (natural soil level) and adequate [10 mg Cu kg−1soil, applied with copper sulfate (24 percent Cu)]. Straw yield, seed yield, number of pods per plant, seed per pod, seed harvest index (SHI), maximum root length (MRL), and root dry weight (RDW) were significantly affected by Cu and genotype treatments. The Cu × G interactions were also significant for these traits, indicating variation in genotype responses with the variation in Cu levels. Based on seed yield efficiency index (SYEI), genotypes were grouped in three classes: Cu efficient, moderately Cu efficient, and Cu inefficient. Fifty-three percent of the genotypes were classified as efficient, 40 percent were classified as moderately efficient, and 7 percent were classified as inefficient in Cu-use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]