In 2025, the PHREC Dry Bean Breeding program conducted fourteen replicated field trials at two locations, the Scottsbluff Ag. Lab (Scotts80-Fields-3-4) and the Mitchell Ag Lab (Field W3) to evaluate which dry bean entries (varieties/experimental lines) best suit western Nebraska. These trials have been ongoing for 44 years to serve the Nebraska dry bean industry.
Locations and Germplasm
Eighteen replicated trials — two Great Northern (24 entries), two Pintos (24 entries), two Slow-Darkening (24 entries), two Light Red Kidneys (LRK, 14 entries), two Blacks (18 entries), two Navies (12 entries), two Yellows (14 entries), two Cranberries (6 entries), and two others (5 entries) — were planted at the Mitchell and Scottsbluff Ag Labs on June 2 and 9, respectively.
The soil at the Scottsbluff site (41◦53.6′ N, 103◦40.7′ W, 1200 m elevation) is a Tripp, very fine sandy loam (coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustolls). The soil at the Mitchell site (41◦56.6′ N, 103◦41.9′ W, 1240 m elevation) is a silt loam (Typic Ustorthents).
Agronomic Management
Scottsbluff Ag Lab
The field at the Scottsbluff Ag Lab was disked on April 9, cultivated/tilled on May 23, incorporated on June 4, and sprayed on June 11 with Outlook at 14 oz. per acre and Prowl H2O at 2 pints per acre.
The field at the Scottsbluff Ag Lab had enough residual # of N and P in a 36-inch depth, so no additional N and P were applied.
The field at the Scottsbluff Ag Lab was irrigated 12 times using 11.5 inches of irrigation. It received an additional 5.57 inches of precipitation, and hail occurred on June 29.
Due to the hail, the field at Scottsbluff Ag Lab was also sprayed on July 7 with Badge SC at 2 pints/acre.
Mitchell Ag Lab
The field at the Mitchell Ag Lab was disked on April 4, cultivated on May 22, plowed on May 23, incorporated on May 31, and sprayed on June 4 with Outlook at 14 oz. per acre and Prowl H2O at 2 pints per acre.
The field at Mitchell Ag Lab had enough residual # of N and P in a 36-inch depth, so no additional N and P were applied.
The field at Mitchell Ag lab was irrigated 12 times using 11.5 inches of irrigation. It received an additional 8.13 inches of precipitation, and hail occurred on July 14. No additional sprays were applied due to the hail.
Experimental Design
The entries were assigned to experimental units using a randomized complete block design with four replications. Each plot consisted of four 22-foot rows spaced 22 inches apart. The target plant population was 80,000 plants/acre for all market classes except the LRK, which had a target population of 100,000 plants/acre. The trials were planted with a Hege cone planter. At the end of the growing season, a plot combine (Wintersteiger Classic) was used to harvest 20 feet of the middle two rows of each plot. The variety/line trials at the Mitchell and Scottsbluff Ag Labs were undercut and combined on Oct. 1 and 10, respectively.
Response Variables
Data collected were: yield (lbs/acre adjusted to 14% moisture), DTF (days to flowering, actual number of days from planting to when 50% of the plants had at least one flower opened), DTM (days to harvest maturity, exact number of days from planting to when 80% of the plants were ready to be harvested), 100-seed counts (weight of 100 seeds in grams adjusted to 14% moisture), test weight (lbs/bushel adjusted to 14% moisture), and growth habit (1= determinate upright; 2a= indeterminate upright short vine; 2b= indeterminate upright long vine; 3a= indeterminate prostrate short vine; 3b= indeterminate prostrate long vine); and plant height in inches. Results are presented in Tables 1 to 12.
Statistical Analysis
Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED (SAS, 2004). Means were separated using an F-protected LSD. All tests were considered significant at P ≤ 0.05.
The GRAND MEAN (bottom of each table) refers to the average of the experiment. The coefficient of variation (CV%) quantifies experimental variability; large CVs indicate that substantial variation cannot be attributed to differences among entries. The LSD (Least Significant Difference) was used to evaluate differences among entries. If the difference between two entries exceeds the LSD for a particular response variable, the higher value is significantly greater at the 0.05 level of significance (95% confidence). If the difference between two entries is less than the LSD value, the values are considered similar.
List of Tables
The Light Red Kidney, Black, Navy, Cranberry, Other, and Yellow Variety Trials at the Scottsbluff Ag Lab were not harvested because of the hailstorm.
2025
Scottsbluff Ag Lab
Mitchell Ag Lab
