Sowing method a criterion for phenotypic evaluation in bean improvement

Abstract

In plant breeding it is of great importance to obtain genetic gains for a group of agricultural characters, simultaneously. The objective of this work was to make estimates of phenotypic correlation and to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of such correlation, in relation to the different sowing methods. The experimental design used consisted of random blocks with three replications. Three sowing methods were employed: i) sowing on a hill, ii) sowing in a full line, and iii) sowing in line, with spaces between the plants. Eight traits of agronomic importance were evaluated (vegetative cycle, plant height, fi rst bean insertion, number of beans per plant, number of grains per bean; bean length, grain weight and grain yield). Each treatment consisted of fi ve lines of four meters, with line spacing of 0.5m. The obtained data showed a signifi cant and differentiated association between grain yields and their components in relation to the three sowing methods, comparatively. The trait “number of grains per bean” showed a signifi cant infl uence on the composition of grain yield which was independent of the sowing method.

Keywords

• genetic improvement
• Phaseolus vulgaris L.
• phenotypic correlation