Agronomic potential of genebank landrace elite accessions for common bean genetic breeding

Abstract

Plant breeding effi ciency relies mainly on genetic diversity and selection to release new cultivars. This study aimed to identify landraces with favorable characteristics that can be used as parents of segregating populations in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) breeding programs. Firstly, ten bean genotypes were selected because they showed promising agronomic performance, and the following seven adaptive traits of four commercial bean cultivars were evaluated: i) plant height; ii) diameter of the stem; iii) height of the insertion of the fi rst pod; iv) pod number per plant; v) grain number per pod; vi) weight of a thousand grains and vii) grain yield. The accessions BAF 07, BAF 44, and BAF 45 are promising in terms of increasing plant height, and accession BAF 01, in terms of reducing plant height. The accession BAF 07 was also the most promising in terms of a plant ideotype that combines higher plant height, maximum height of the insertion of the fi rst pod, and increment in grain yield. Moreover, the selection can be made between and within accessions, because genetic variability is also present within landraces.

Morpho-Agronomic Variation among Phaseolus vulgaris Landraces: A Review

“…Landraces play a significant role in agricultural production ensuring quality and wellmanaged crops [26]. They are varieties that have genotypes with wide specific traits [27]. These traits are adaptive to a specific environment and produces well-improved genotype, reduces the vulnerability, resistance to pests and diseases [27].…”

“…They are varieties that have genotypes with wide specific traits [27]. These traits are adaptive to a specific environment and produces well-improved genotype, reduces the vulnerability, resistance to pests and diseases [27]. Landraces serve as a source of genetic diversity, and plant breeders often use specific traits to create new variation and maximize genetic diversity [12].…”

“…It also plays important role in ensuring food security [26]. Landraces result in high to intermediated yield, which is also stable under a low-input agricultural system in small-scale farmers [24,27,28]. They are a unique source of special traits which have marginal environment tolerance and nutritional quality [26].…”

“…The plant height of Brazilian P. vulgaris landraces ranges from 338 to 988 mm [27]. According to Stoilova et al [32], plant height of landraces from Portugal and Bulgaria ranges from 195 to 1234 mm with the average of 447 mm.…”

“…The numbers of pod per plant ranges from 21.5 to 51.3, among local landraces, and from 20.4 to 28.4 among cultivars [36]. The number of pods per plant ranges from 6.3 to 18.1 among P. vulgaris landraces from Brazil [27]. Turkey landraces have a number of pods per plant ranging from 1 and 163 [33].…”