An analysis of the growth of mung beans at a range of plant densities in tropical Australia. I. Dry matter production

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during the wet season in monsoonal tropical Australia to determine (a) whether plant density affected above-ground dry matter production of Vigna vadiata cv. Berken and, if so, what those effects could be attributed to, and (b) if there were differences between V. vadiata cvv. Berken and CES-ID-21 and V, mungo cv. Regur in their efficiencies of utilization of incident light energy for the production of dry matter. Differences in above-ground dry matter production of the Berken crops growing at three different plant densities could be attributed primarily to the different times taken by them to reach full light interception. In contrast, differences in above-ground dry matter production between species and cultivars were due to differences in both their efficiencies of light utilization and the amounts of light intercepted by them. Further measurements are required to determine whether the observed differences in light utilization efficiencies are attributable to differences in potential photosynthetic activities or to differences in partitioning of dry matter between root and shoot.