TITLE:
Growth and Yield of Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.) Genotypes under Different Planting Dates in the Semi-Arid Southern High Plains
AUTHORS:
Sudhir Singla, Kulbhushan Grover, Sangamesh V. Angadi, Sultan H. Begna, Brian Schutte, Dawn Van Leeuwen
KEYWORDS:
Guar, Planting Date, Genotype, Yield, Southern High Plains
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.7 No.8,
June
20,
2016
ABSTRACT: Guar is a drought and salt
tolerant summer annual legume, which could be a potential alternative crop in the
semi-arid Southern High Plains. Increased use of guar gum in oil industries has
increased the demand of guar globally. Planting date effects on stand establishment,
physiological parameters, and yield formation of guar genotypes were investigated
at the New Mexico State University’s Agricultural Science Center at Clovis, NM for
two seasons (2014 and 2015). Four guar genotypes (HES 1123, Kinman, Lewis, and Matador)
were tested under three planting dates (June 18, July 7, and July 22 in 2014; and
June 18, July 6, and July 20 in 2015). Higher temperature and rainfall were recorded
under mid-June planting than early-July and late-July plantings. Guar planted under
mid-June had better stand establishment as shown by the higher number of plants
m-2, better physiology as revealed by higher photosynthetic rate (Pn),
transpiration rate (Tr), leaf area index (LAI), and SPAD values than
early-July and late-July plantings. Guar planted under mid-June resulted in taller
plants, and therefore, produced higher plant biomass than both of the July plantings.
Yield attributing characteristics including clusters plant-1, pods plant-1,
seeds plant-1, seed spod-1, 1000 seed weight, and harvest
index (HI) were highest under mid-June planting followed by the early-July and late-July
plantings, respectively. The mid-June planting increased seed yield by 26% and 55%
over early-July and late-July (1399 vs. 1111 and 903 kg·ha-1)
plantings, respectively in 2014; while the same increase in 2015 was 51% and 243%
(1308 vs. 868 and 381 kg·ha-1), respectively. These results
indicate that delaying planting beyond mid-June is detrimental to guar productivity.
However, genotypes did not show any significant variation in their performance.
Overall, warmer growing conditions and more precipitation under mid-June planting
caused better growth and yield formation of guar genotypes.