Breeding white seeded bean cultivars for improving quality

Abstract

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is considered as the most important legume for human consumption. Its production is extended in North of Spain where it is very frequent to cultivate the traditional landraces, for own supply and for local markets.

In Spain, as wel1 as in other European countries, white seeded bean cultivars have special interest for consumers and processors. Particularly some types with large kidney or similar seed shape have a relevant added value in the market. These are the cultivars known as riñón (kidney type) and galaica or faba (extra-large-seeded), very often cultivated in North of Spain. These two varieties are one of resource with more potentiality to use in breeding, because the sensorial and nutritional quality of their seed.

At the MBG-CSIC (Misión Biológica de Galicia - Higher Council for Scientific Research, Pontevedra, Spain) there is a bean germplasm collection that includes landraces, cultivars and including breeding lines. The accession number is higher 1195. Some of the accessions of this collection of the above mentioned types riñón and faba are characterised by white and large seed, and good sensorial qualities refereed to water absorption and hard-shell proportion (Ron et al, 1998). The characteristics of these cultivars permits to include them in the Andean race Nueva Granada: T -phaseolin, indeterminate growth habit, type of seed hairy leaves (Singh et al, 1991). The objective of this study is to show the value of traditional landraces for breeding focused in the improvement of seed quality.