ADAPTATION AND YIELD STABILITY IN YELLOW GENOTYPES OF DRY BEANS AT SOUTHERN SONORA, MÉXICO

Abstract

In Sonora, México dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is cultivated in 7600 ha from where 11 600 t are harvested. The annual state demand is estimated in 50 000 t. Dry beans are grown under irrigation at two seasons: Autumn-Winter and Spring-Summer at southern Sonora, and account for 70 to 80 % of the state total. The predominant varieties have large grain (40 g/100 seeds) of yellow color which occupy 90 % of the area. Main varieties are ‘Azufrado Peruano 87’ (42 %), ‘Azufrado Pimono 78’ (27 %) and ‘Azufrado Higuera 94’ (13 %). The main constraints of the yellow-colored bean production in the region are virus diseases, particularly common mosaic (BCMV), southern mosaic (BSMV), clorothic mosaic (BClMV), golden mosaic (BGYMV) and the cucumber leaf roll virus (SLRMV), which may cause total losses in production. In this investigation we determined the adaptation and stability of the yield and related variables of five yellow-colored bean genotypes. The investigation was carried out in the Mayo Valley, on a sandy loam soil, during the 2002-2003, 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 Autumn-Winter seasons; the advanced lines of determinate type beans (Type I) were: Mo 94/95 1039 and Mo 94/95 1041, and the commercial checks were ‘Azufrado Higuera 94’, ‘Azufrado Peruano 87’ and ‘Azufrado Noroeste 94’. The yield and yield components were analyzed regarding their relation to virus and to populations of whitefly (Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring). The values of standard deviation, the genotypic stability model and a classification of varieties for adaptability were used to consider the genotypes consistency. Results indicated that the varieties performance is affected by low temperatures and by viruses associated to great populations of vectors. For beans planted in the Autumn-Winter season, under irrigation, yield depends on the seed number and size and on the days to physiological maturity. Cultivar ‘Azufrado Higuera 94’ showed the most stable yield.