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French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important
leguminous vegetable crop in India. It is also known as
Kidney bean, Snap bean, Common bean, Haricot bean,
Tepary bean, Bush bean and Fras bean. It is used as
vegetable when pods are immature and tender. Beans  are
also pickled and cooked beans are served cold in salads.
Canned and home-prepared red kidney beans are used in
salads, meat and fish dishes (Begum et al, 2003). French
bean is a good source of protein, carbohydrate, calcium,
iron, phosphorus and vitamins, particularly, Vitamin B.

Genetic constitution of a variety makes a great
contribution to growth, yield and pod quality in French bean.
Improved varieties, in general, give higher yields if supplied
with optimum nutrition and are grown under favourable
conditions (Farkade and Pawar, 2002). French bean does
not nodulate with native rhizobia in the plains. Consequently,
it responds well to application of nitrogen (Kushwaha 1991).
Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur are classified
as major plant nutrients as these are required in relatively
large amounts. Increase in growth and yield has been
registered with higher doses of these nutrients (Farkade
and Pawar, 2002). Earlier studies were confined mainly to
N, P and K requirement of this crop. Not much attention
was paid to sulphur nutrition. Sulphur deficiency is identified
as a yield-limiting factor, particularly, in production of pulse

J. Hortl. Sci.
Vol. 8(2):268-270, 2013

Short communication

Studies on French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) varieties under different N, P, K and
 S levels for growth, yield and economics

B.K. Sharma, S.S. Kushwah, K.S. Verma and O.P. Singh1
Department of Vegetable Science, College of Horticulture

Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya
Gwalior, Mandsaur - 458 001,  India

E-mail: kushwahhort@rediffmail.com

ABSTRACT
Fifteen combinations of three French bean varieties viz., Arka Komal (V1), Swaran Priya (V2) and Contender (V3) and

five fertilizer levels (F1- 20:40:40:20kg/ha NPKS; F2- 40:40:40:20kg/ha NPKS; F3 - 60:60:60:40kg/ha NPKS;
F4 - 80:60:60:40kg/ha NPKS, and F5 -100:80:80:50kg/ha NPKS) were tested in factorial Randomized Block Design,
with three replications. Among the varieties, Swaran Priya was superior for growth attributes, yield attributes and
yield. Among fertilizer levels, F5 (100:80:80:50kg/ha NPKS) resulted in highest growth parameters, yield parameters
and yield of pods. Economic evaluation showed that variety Swaran Priya under F5 (100:80:80:50kg/ha NPKS) resulted
in maximum gross returns, net returns  and cost:benefit ratio for green pod production.

Key words: French bean, varieties, fertilizer levels, growth, yield, economics

and oilseed crops. Intensive cultivation and use of high-grade
fertilizers have resulted in depletion of sulphur in the soil.
Sulphur has been observed in several legume crops to
increase crop yield and quality of the produce (Najar et al,
2011). With these facts in view, a field experiment was
conducted to evaluate performance of French bean varieties
under different fertilizer levels.

The experiment was conducted at Bahadari farm,
College of Horticulture, Mandsaur, during rabi 2008-09.
Fifteen combinations of three varieties (V1- Arka Komal,
V2 - Swaran Priya and V3 - Contender) and five fertilizer
levels (F1- 20:40:40:20kg/ha NPKS; F2- 40:40:40:20kg/ha
NPKS; F3 - 60:60:60:40kg/ha NPKS; F4 - 80:60:60:40kg/ha
NPKS, and F5 -100:80:80:50kg/ha NPKS) were laid out in
factorial Randomized Block Design, with three replications.
Soil in the experimental field was medium-black (Vertisol),
clayey in texture, with uniform topography. Soil pH, EC
(dSm-1), available nitrogen (kg/ha), phosphorus (kg/ha),
potassium (kg/ha) and sulphur (kg/ha) were 7.10, 0.24, 141,
22, 389 and 27, respectively. Seeds were sown on 6th October
2008, at a spacing of 45×15cm. Observations were recorded
on plant height (cm), number of leaves per plant, number of
branches per plant, leaf area (cm2) per plant, days to 50%
flowering, number of pods per plant, length of pods (cm),
fresh weight (g) of green pods per plant, pod yield (q) per

1Department of Plant Physiology and Botany



269

French bean varieties under different N, P, K and S levels

hectare, and analyzed statistically as per standard
procedures. Green pods were harvested between 30th
November and 20th December, 2008. Economic evaluation
of various combinations for fresh-pod production in French
bean was done on the basis of existing price of the produce
inputs provided.

The findings (Table1) showed significant influence
of variety on various growth parameters. Plant height
attained was maximum in cv. Swaran Priya, followed by
Arka Komal and was least in cv. Contender. Highest number
of leaves per plant, leaf area per plant, number of branches
per plant was maximum in cv. Swaran Priya, followed by
cv. Arka Komal and Contender. These findings corroborate
those of Farkade and Pawar (2002). Days taken to 50%
flowering varied from 31.6 to 33 days.

Application of fertilizers exerted significant influence
on growth parameters. Maximum plant height, number of
leaves per plant, leaf area per plant and number of branches
per plant were recorded with application of F5, followed by
F4, F3, F2 and F1, respectively. Higher dose of NPKS (these
nutrients play important role in photosynthesis as well as
energy transport) may have enhanced growth attributes in
French bean. Similar findings were reported by Farkade
and Pawar (2002) and Singh and Verma (2002). Higher
levels of fertilizer delayed flowering by 2 days compared to
F-1. Higher doses of fertilizer, particularly nitrogen,
prolonged the growth period and resulted in delayed
flowering.

Yield parameters and yield showed significant
influence of variety (Table 1). Cultivar Swaran Priya

recorded highest number of pods per plant, fresh weight of
green pods per plant, and pod yield per hectare. This was
followed by cvs. Arka Komal and Contender. Length of
pod was maximum in cv. Arka Komal, followed by Swaran
Priya and Contender. Higher photosynthetic area could have
resulted in improved yield parameters and yield in cv. Swaran
Priya. Moniruzzaman et al (2007) also found significant
influence of cultivar on these attributes in French bean.

Fertilizer application had significant effect on yield
parameters and yield in French bean. A linear increase in
yield parameters and yield was seen with increasing levels
of fertilizer. Highest number of pods per plant, length of

Table 1.  Effect of variety and fertilizer level on growth attributes, yield attributes and yield in French bean
Treatment Plant Number Number of Leaf Days Number Length Fresh Pod yield

height of leaves branches area per to 50% of pods of pod weight of (q) per
(cm) per plant per plant plant flowering per plant (cm) green pods hectare

(cm2) per plant (g)
Variety
V1 (Arka Komal) 36.17 57.76 10.45 657.80 33.00 27.04 14.58 64.15 94.38
V2 (Swaran Priya) 42.09 66.84 11.69 905.56 32.20 33.78 14.22 71.91 104.05
V3 (Contender) 35.85 53.69 9.69 640.33 31.60 25.61 14.08 59.49 86.33
S.Em± 0.19 0.29 0.14 2.58 0.17 0.28 0.09 0.48 0.95
CD (P=0.05) 0.57 0.81 0.39 7.46 0.49 0.81 0.26 1.39 2.75
Fertilizer level (F)
F1 (20:40:40:20kg/ha NPKS) 33.76 51.84 9.36 543.88 30.89 23.69 13.62 61.46 88.79
F2 (40:40:40:20kg/ha NPKS) 35.52 54.77 9.96 632.82 31.89 25.56 14.03 62.89 91.98
F3 (60:60:60:40kg/ha NPKS) 38.18 59.74 10.44 715.88 32.33 28.61 14.25 64.80 93.90
F4 (80:60:60:40kg/ha NPKS) 40.16 63.53 11.01 846.66 32.89 30.93 14.58 66.87 98.03
F5 (100:80:80:50kg/ha NPKS) 42.58 67.27 12.28 933.59 33.33 35.26 15.00 69.89 101.91
S.Em± 0.23 0.33 0.16 3.32 0.20 0.33 0.11 0.62 1.23
CD (P=0.05) 0.66 0.94 0.46 9.63 0.57 0.94 0.30 1.80 3.55

Table 2. Economic evaluation of various treatments for pod
production in French bean
Treatment Pod Cost of Gross Net Cost:Benefit

yield cultivation returns profit ratio
(q/ha) (Rs./ha) (Rs./ha) (Rs./ha)

V1F1 87.47 15256 43735 28479 1:1.87
V1F2 91.66 15456 45830 30374 1:1.97
V1F3 92.67 16146 46335 30189 1:1.87
V1F4 99.33 16326 49665 33339 1:2.04
V1F5 100.80 16946 50400 33454 1:1.97
V2F1 97.23 15256 48615 33359 1:2.19
V2F2 101.47 15456 50735 35279 1:2.28
V2F3 103.83 16146 51915 35769 1:2.22
V2F4 105.77 16326 52885 36559 1:2.24
V2F5 111.97 16946 55985 39039 1:2.30
V3F1 81.68 15256 40840 25584 1:1.68
V3F2 82.81 15456 41405 25949 1:1.68
V3F3 85.20 16146 42600 26454 1:1.64
V3F4 89.00 16326 44500 28174 1:1.73
V3F5 92.97 16946 46485 29539 1:1.74
French bean pod selling price: Rs. 5/kg

J. Hortl. Sci.
Vol. 8(2):268-270, 2013



270

pod, fresh weight of green pods per plant, and pod yield per
hectare were seen with application of F5 (100:80:80:50kg/
ha NPKS). This was followed by F4, F3, F2 and F1,
respectively. Higher availability of nutrients may have
resulted in improved growth parameters, yield parameters
and yield with application of higher levels of fertilizer. Srinivas
and Nayak (1988), Farkade and Pawar (2002) and Singh
and Verma (2002) also reported higher growth parameters
and yield with higher doses of fertilizer in French bean.

Economic evaluation of fresh pod production
(Table 2) revealed highest net returns in cv. Swaran Priya
under F5 (100:80:80:50:kg/ha NPKS), followed by V2F4
(Swaran Priya, under 80:60:60:40kg/ha NPKS).
Cost:Benefit ratio was maximum in V2F5 (Swaran Priya,
under 100:80:80:50:kg/ha NPKS). Singh and Verma (2002)
also reported higher returns with high-yielding varieties and
higher doses of fertilizer.

REFERENCES
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Farkade, B.K. and Pawar, W.S. 2002. Growth performance
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Kushwaha, B.L. 1991. Response of winter French bean at
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(MS Received 14 May 2012, Accepted 21 August 2013, Revised 17 September 2013)

Sharma et al

J. Hortl. Sci.
Vol. 8(2):268-270, 2013