Effects of Seed Moisture Content and Threshing Methods on Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Seed Quality

The low seed quality of white-seeded cultivars of phaseolus vulgaris l. can cause problems at field emergence. bean seeds in turkey are produced mainly in the hot dry summer season in the konya plain. bean seeds were harvested by hand from different commercial fields and the seeds were removed by hand or by mechanical threshing at different seed moisture contents (smc) from 20% down to 11%. the lowest percentage of normal seedlings and significantly higher abnormal seedlings, as well as a higher incidence of cracked seed coats were found for machine threshed seedsat below 14% smc. the field emergence at two sites showed evidence of reduced emergence in seeds that had been machine threshed at 11% smc. these findings showed that bean seeds should not be harvested and threshed by machine at below 14% smc if seed quality is to be maintained.