Evaluation of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L) Cultivars for Yield and Yield-Related Traits at Sekoru District, South Western Ethiopia

The low productivity of common beans is attached to many yield constraints such as lack of improved varieties; poor management practices, biotic and abiotic factors. This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of improved common bean varieties for yield and yield related traits in the Sekoru district of the Jimma zone and identify high-yielding varieties for the study area. Eleven released and one local common bean variety were tested in two locations (Yero Sekoru and Inkure), using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Data were collected for 12 quantitative traits and subjected to analysis using SAS software. The interaction effect of genotype by location showed a highly significant variation for all traits except for plant height, dry biomass yield, and hundred seed weight. The phenotypic coefficient of variation was higher than the genotypic coefficient of variation for all traits. Higher The phenotypic coefficient of variation was recorded for 100 seed weight (52.78), pod length (28.9), pods per plant (27.63), harvest index (25.94) and seed yield (24.6) and also a high genotypic coefficient of variance (GCV) was observed for 100 seed weight (20.24) and pods per plant (20.34). Low (20) and high (93.5) heritability in broad sense were recorded in days to 50% flowering and dry biomass yield, respectively. At the phenotypic level, all traits had a positive phenotypic significant correlation with seed yield per hectare except for primary branches per plant day to 95% physiological maturity and hundred seed weight, while a negative significant correlation with seed yield per hectare was observed for days to 50% flowering. Genotypic path coefficient analysis indicates that the traits studied showed a positive direct effect on seed yield per hectare, while plant height, primary branches and secondary branches per plant, days to 50% flowering, days to 95% physiological maturity and 100 seed weight exhibited a negative direct effect. However, a positive direct phenotypic effect was observed for traits such as dry biomass yield, pod length, primary branches per plant, seeds per pod, and days to 95% physiological maturity. Among the varieties tested in both locations, the highest yield was recorded for the Ser119 variety (2865.2 kg/ha) followed by the Ser125 variety (2699.2 kg/ha). Therefore, recommending these varieties to farmers in the study area is very important to increase production and income.