Genetic diversity, variability and character association in local common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) germplasm of Kashmir

Rajmash or common bean is regarded as “Grain of hope” as it is an important component of subsistence agriculture and feeds about 300 million people in tropics and 100 million people in Africa alone. The present investigation was conducted during kharif 2008. The experimental material comprised 75 diverse germplasm accessions collected from diverse ecological regions of Kashmir and temperate areas of Jammu division. The material was evaluated at three diverse locations representing three diverse agro-ecological regimes in a randomized complete block design with three replications at each location. Classification of genotypes led to formation of 3 clusters in the pooled data of 75 common bean genotypes. The clustering pattern gave a different picture with cluster II containing 51 genotypes while cluster I had 23 genotypes the remaining one cluster had only one genotype. Analysis of the traits contributing maximum to the divergence in the pooled analysis revealed the traits viz., days to maturity (22.52%), 100-seed weight (14.63%), protein content (12.605), seed yield plant-1(11.215) and days to 50 per cent flowering (10.46%) to contribute maximum to the divergence in the present experimental material. Estimates of heritability (bs) were high (>60%) for all the traits except number of branches plant-1and number of seeds pod-1. The expected genetic gain (per cent of mean) was high (>30%) for days to maturity, number of pods plant-1, 100-seed weight and seed yield plant-1 while it was moderate (10.0-30.0%) for days to 50 per cent flowering, number of branches plant-1, pod length, number of seeds pod-1and protein content. The genotypic correlation coefficients were, in general higher in magnitude though similar in direction, as compared to corresponding phenotypic correlation coefficients. Seed yield plant-1 was observed to have a highly positive and significant correlations, both at phenotypic and genotypic levels with number of branches plant-1, number of pods plant-1, pod length, number of seed pod-1and 100-seed weight. But negative and significant correlation with days to 50 per cent flowering and days to maturity were estimated from the pooled analysis.