MORPHOAGRONOMIC CHARACTERIZATION AND GENETIC VARIABILITY ANALYSIS OF COMMON BEAN LANDRACES IN KASHMIR HIMALAYAS: IMPLICATIONS FOR YIELD ENHANCEMENT

Common bean landraces cultivated in the Himalayan mountains of Kashmir region constitute a diverse gene pool with broad genetic variations having immense potential in crop improvement and yield enhancement programs. Current study was designed with the core objective to evaluate the morphoagronomic traits of common beans landraces cultivated in the state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Pakistan and identify the best performing genotypes to for breeding purposes to achieve sustainable crop production. The collected Genotypes were evaluated for a total of 25 morpho-agronomic traits including 13 quantitative traits along with 12 qualitative traits by employing randomized complete block (RCBD) experiment design. Considerable variations were observed in the qualitative traits with the highest frequency value recorded for indeterminate climber growth habit, small to medium seed size. Maximum variations were recorded in the investigated quantitative traits including Plant height (59.1-315.73 cm), hundred seed weight (20.7-65.67 g), seed yield per Plant (8.1636.15 g); whereas moderate levels of variation were recorded in Days to flowering (52.9-70.8); Leaf Length (7.11-12.15 cm), Leaf width (5.4-10.7 cm), Pod length (8.17-15.4 cm), Seed length (10.18-17.35 mm), Seed width (6.16-8.86 mm), Pod width (0.85-1.72 cm), Pod beak length (0.45-0.96). Analysis of genetic variability revealed that Hundred seed weight, Seed yield per plant and Plant height traits exhibited high heritability values with maximum scores of Phenotypic as well as genotypic coefficients of variation, also having highest (>50%) values of genetic advance. Our study has identified KEL-1, NGR-2, HAL-5, and KEL-9 genotypes to be best suitable for cultivation in the rainfed Himalayan mountain agriculture systems in the region having maximum yield outputs. Multivariate ordination analysis identified Plant height, hundred seed weight, and seed yield as principal traits having maximum potential for the crop improvement. Findings provide valuable scientific information about the important yield traits of common bean landraces that with dynamic implications for crop improvement and food security in the mountain agriculture systems across the region.