Participatory varietal selection of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Wolaita, Ethiopia

Abstract

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important grain legume in Ethiopia. Its yield is low partly because of low yield potential and low adoption of existing varieties. An experiment was conducted in Wolaita, Ethiopia, to identify farmers' varietal selection criteria and to determine the relationship among grain yield and yield components using fourteen common bean genotypes grown at randomized complete block design with three replications. Grain yield ranged from 183 (genotype Awash-Melka) to 343 g m-2 (genotype Ibbado), 100-seed weight from 16 (genotype Awash-1) to 51 g (genotype Ibbado), pods/plant from 7.87 (genotype Tatu) to 13.73 (genotype SARI-1) and seeds/pod from 3.53 (genotypes Ibbado and ETAW-01-L-3-15A) to 5.93 (genotype Tabor). The correlation of grain yield with 100-seed weight (r = 0.72, p<0.01) and grain filling period (r = 0.68, p<0.01) was positive whereas its correlation with that of pods/plant (r = -0.59, p<0.05) and days to flowering (r = -0.71, p<0.01) was negative. The 100-seed weight was positively correlated with grain filling period (r = 0.54, p<0.05) and negatively correlated with that of pods/plant (r = -0.73, p<0.01), seeds/pod (r = -0.90, p<0.01) and days to flowering (r = -0.74, p<0.01). Farmers mostly preferred genotypes which combined high yield, early flowering and maturity, large and red or red-speckled seeds and fast cooking time. Thus, genotypes Ibbado, Remeda and Tatu would be used to improve adoption and varietal diversity.