Selection of early lima bean lines for grain yield

Abstract

The scarcity of improved lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) cultivars in Brazil has made it difficult to reach new production levels. This study aimed to select early and high-yielding lima bean lines with commercially desirable seed traits. Forty F6:8 generation lines from the Breeding Program of the Universidade Federal do Piauí were evaluated in Tianguá (Ceará state) and Teresina (Piauí state), in Brazil. Variance components, genetic parameters and the Mulamba & Mock selection index were estimated for the statistical analyses. The more prominent traits, in terms of genetic gains, were number of days to flowering, number of pods per plot, grain yield and plant height, indicating favorable conditions for selection. The lines exhibited genetic variability regarding number of days to flowering, reinforcing the potential for selecting early lines. In the simultaneous selection of desirable agronomic traits, the lines H81-32, H25-59, H25-56, H25-66, H25-57 and H81-34 exhibited a superior performance in Tianguá, whereas H50/86-35, H25-64, H81-34, H25-66, H25-54, H25-60, H50/86-36, H25-58, H50/86-38 and H50/86-37 were highlighted in Teresina. H81-34 and H25-66 were promising in both environments, whereas H25-56 was notable for its white seed coat, a desirable trait for the consumer market.

KEYWORDS: Phaseolus lunatus, genetic parameters, genetic variability.