Variability of French Bean in the Western Mid Hills of Nepal

Abstract

Variability was studied among 18 exotic and indigenous French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) genotypes collected from research centers, agro-vets and traditional farming villages of the western hills of Nepal. The collected genotypes were field evaluated at the Agriculture Research Station, Malepatan, Pokhara at 848 m above sea level during the summer season of 2010 with the objectives to assess the variability in the exotic and indigenous genotypes and their potential for utilization in improvement programs. The results of the study showed that the variability was higher in adaptation, vegetative growth, floral and pod characteristics. The plant survival at harvest was higher in pole-type than in bush-type beans ranging from 97.92 to 54.17% with means of 83.71% and 79.80%, respectively. Bush-type beans were earlier in flowering than pole-type beans ranging from 32 to 174.33 d with a mean of 35.76 and 76.61 d, respectively. Pod length and width were higher in pole- type beans than in bush-type beans ranging from 20.45 to 7.67 cm in length and 33.53 to 7.37 mm in width. The variability indicated that the collected genotypes were distinctly different. The results revealed that the French bean genotype in the mid hills of Nepal is highly diverse and could be considered as the secondary center of genetic diversity. The diverse genotypes should be conserved and utilized for varietal improvement.