Ninety six genotypes (42 exotic and 54 indigenous) of Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were investigated at two locations during Rabi 2016 (SKUAST-Jammu) and Kharif 2017 (SKUAST-Bhaderwah) to evaluate yield contributing traits for phenotypic variation and identify the selection indices important for common bean improvement. Seeds per pod have least variation among coefficients at phenotypic and genotypic level and yield per plant have highest PCV and GCV across both locations. High estimate of heritability (broad sense) was observed for 100 seed weight and signifying high potential for improvement of common bean through selection which is governed by additive gene action. Correlation coefficients at phenotypic level of both locations envisaged that yield per plant was having significant and positive correlation with pods per plant, seeds per pod and 100 seed weight. These are the important characters contributing towards crop yield and can be strategically used to improve the common bean yield.

Sixtyfour mungbean genotypes consisting breeding lines, advanced breeding lines and released varieties were evaluated to explore the extent of genetic diversity. Wilks (statistic) criterion was used to test the significant differences between the genotypes based on the pooled effect of all the characters. The genotypes under investigation demonstrated a wide range of diversity for considered traits. The cluster analysis through Tocher’s method distributed the genotypes into eight clusters. Cluster I was largest with maximum 29 genotypes, followed by Cluster III, II and V comprising 9, 8 and 8 genotypes, respectively. The maximum inter cluster D2 value (20.56) was recorded between cluster VII and VI, while the minimum D2 value (10.26) was found between cluster VIII and VII. The grain yield/plant was found to be maximum in cluster VI which indicated importance of this cluster in improvement of yield in mungbean. Among all the traits studied 100-seed weight contributed maximum to the diversity, followed by number of clusters/plant, days to flowering (50%) and days to maturity. In the present study, mixed response was observed as the genotypes originating from different eco-geographical regions were grouped together into different clusters as well as in same clusters. It is suggested that diverse parents should be used to produce desirable recombinants for developing new improved mungbean varieties.

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.; 2n = 2x = 22) is the most important edible food legume. It represents 50% of the grain legumes consumed worldwide. Traits of economic importance need to be mined for crop improvement. Morphological characters were used to select and cross the plants carrying desired combination of traits to produce new cultivars during early 19th century as it was the only available option. However, there were some major shortcomings in using morphological characters viz, development stage specific expression, sensitivity to environmental conditions, alteration in expression by epistatic and pleiotropic interactions and identification of genomic regions (QTLs) controlling quantitative traits (QTs) through conventional phenotypic evaluation was very difficult. The discovery of molecular markers in the 1980s, which are based on polymorphism in DNA sequences, was a major breakthrough towards genetic characterization of quantitative traits. Molecular markers make it possible to track the inheritance of linked segments of the genome in suitable pedigrees and significant association between molecular markers.