Evaluation of Phenotypic Diversity in Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Using Specific Descriptors

Normally, the bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is considered a self-pollinated plant. The aim of this study was to present the effects of cross-pollination within a bean germplasm collection (over 450 accessions) in climatic conditions from South-eastern part of Romania. This paper presents the study of two climbing bean accessions seeds sown. For each accession sown, there were taken into study nine new biotypes harvested. The seeds sown represented the control variant for the analysis of the harvested biotypes. The seeds were evaluated in what it concerns quantitative (100 seed weight, length, thickness and width) and qualitative characteristics (shape, main and secondar seed color, shape of secondar color, intensity and color of hilum ring). The mean weight of 100 seeds at V1 was 39.41 g (higher value than the control variant - 38.82 g) and at V2 the mean weight (43.81 g) was smaller than control variant (46.95 g). The coefficient of variability for this parameter had a medium value (V1 11.42% and V2 16.72%), the other analyzed parameters had a small variability. All maximum values at V2 were recorded at 2.1. (weight - 57.67 g, length - 16.30 mm, width - 9.25 mm and thickness - 6.41 mm) and the minimum at 2.5. (weight - 31.15 g, length - 12.39 mm, width - 7.41 mm and thickness - 5.30 mm). The main colors of the control seeds were brown (V1 - medium and V2 - dark). At V1 there were white seeds (1.5.), and at V2 khaki (2.9.). In 2020, a high percentage of allogamy was found in cultivated accessions.