Yield components of samples of two wild Mexican common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) populations grown under cultivation

Abstract

The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an annual crop legume with wild ancestors distributed from Mexico to northern Argentina. In Mexico, wild populations occur throughout this physiographically and climatically diverse country. Such a wide distribution of common bean populations suggests a large genetic variability with variants adapted to different environments with a wide range of morphological traits. In order to know the response of wild common bean to cultivation this study evaluates the yield components, actual yields and their relationship with the morphological traits, of two such wild bean populations. A sample of these populations from contrasting geographical regions, were grown together in an experimental field in the state of Mexico. They were statistically different in the expression of their growth habits. The two populations differed in leaf area, number of leaves per plant, length of main stem and number of main stem nodes, and number of pods and seeds per plant. All these differenc...