Effect of heat treatment at high temperature on in vitro seeds germination of Phaseolus vulgaris cv. ‘ICA Pijao’

Abstract

The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) production is limited by biotic and abiotic factors. Among them, water stress, saline or high temperatures. To solve this problem, genetic improvement programs are aimed at the search for tolerant cultivars. The objective of this work was to determine the effect of heat treatment at high temperatures on the in vitro germination of P. vulgaris cv. ‘ICA Pijao’. For this, seeds of 1-4 months of harvest were used. It were treated at 35 ± 2 °C in an incubator or immersed in water in a thermal bath. As a control, seeds at room temperature (28 ± 2 °C) were used. The results showed that in vitro germination was not less than 90%, however the two heat treatment conditions affected the length and thickness of the radicle and the length of the plumule. Considering the results, the ease of application and the non-affectation of germination, it is recommended to use the heat treatment at 35 ± 2 °C in an incubator. This could be used to induce high temperature stress in the common beans cv. ‘ICA Pijao’ in an in vitro selection protocol.