Inheritance pattern of zinc (Zn) concentration in Middle American and Andean common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seeds

Abstract

The development of common bean cultivars biofortified for zinc meets the global demand for food which may help minimize nutritional deficiencies. The objectives of this research were to investigate the distribution of zinc in the four different Middle American and Andean common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) seeds, to estimate the genetic parameters for zinc concentration in seeds, and to select recombinants biofortified for zinc. Thus, controlled crossings were carried out between the Middle American lines CNFP 10104 and CHC 01-175, and the Andean cultivars Cal 96 and Hooter. Seeds from F 1 , F 1 reciprocal, F 2 , F 2 reciprocal, and backcross (BC 11 and BC 12 ) generations were obtained. Parents and segregating generations were evaluated in two field experiments performed in Brazil. In the parents evaluated, from 57.01 to 68.47% of zinc was accumulated in the seeds embryo. Zinc concentration in Middle American and Andean common bean seeds had no significant maternal effect. Zinc concentration in common bean seeds ranged from 11.59 to 49.84 mg kg -1 of DM in F 2 generation, and showed a continuous distribution, which is characteristic of quantitative inheritance. Broad-sense heritability of zinc concentration in common bean seeds is of high magnitude (h 2 b= 67.21 to 90.03%) and from 17.32 to 27.80% of gain with selection is expected. From the tested hybrid combinations 112 recombinants with high zinc concentration in the seeds can be selected. Inheritance pattern of zinc concentration in Middle American and Andean common bean seeds is quantitative.