STUDIES ON HETEROSIS IN COMMON BEAN UNDER RAINFED CONDITIONS

Abstract

Studies on heterosis in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were conducted with the varieties Bayo Victoria, Bayo Río Grande, Negro Portezuelo, Flor de Mayo RMC, and Bayo Zacatecas as female parents and Navidad 1165, Manzano, Flor de Mayo Criollo, Pinto Nacional 1 and Durango 222 as male parents, and 25 F₁ hybrids. The evaluation was done using a complete randomized block design with two replications, under dryland conditions in the State of Durango, México. To obtain the F₁ hybrids, the female and male parents were crossed according to the North Carolina design II. The highest heterosis values were 94.3 % for grain yield (RGP), 15.7 % for 100 seed weight (PS), 61.1 % for pods per plant (VP), 35.4 % for seeds per pod (GV), and 27.7 for days to fbloom (DB). The highest values for heterobeltiosis were 80.8 % for RGP; 13.7 % for PS, and 38.1 % for VP. Useful heterosis was positive with high values for RGP, VP, GV, and pod length. The hybrids 1 x 8, 1 x 10, 2 x 6, 3 x 8, 5 x 8 and 5 x 10 showed the highest level of heterosis, and their parents were identified as outstanding varieties.