Assessment of Morphological Diversity, Yield Components, and Seed Biochemical Composition in Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Landraces

The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a staple legume crop for the Balkan Peninsula, mainly used for food. A large range of landraces well adapted to the local climate are maintained by farmers. The aim of this study was to estimate in field conditions the variability in morphology and seed biochemical composition of fourteen local common bean genotypes. Sixteen morphological and three biological characteristics were evaluated. Considerable morphological variation was found among genotypes. Thirteen genotypes possessed a determinate growth habit, and one of them an indeterminate one. Plant weight without pods, total weight, and the number and weight of pods per plant displayed the highest variation coefficient (CV%) with 54.5, 44.2, 45, and 37.6%, respectively. According to the seed shape, the variation was among kidney, cuboid, and oval. Seed energy value varied from 339 to 347 kcal/100 g, the amount of protein from 21.8 to 27%, lipids content from 1.6 to 2.5%, carbohydrates from 54 to 60%, ash from 4.6 to 5.4%, dietary fibers from 3.3 to 5.9%, tannins from 14 to 21%, phenols from 1.3 to 17.2 mg/g, and antitrypsin activity from 1.2 to 3.1 units/mg FW. Genotypes were classified according to the earliness, plant and seed characteristics, and yield. Genetic material was discerned useful for future research and breeding purposes.