MORPHOLOGICAL VARIABILITY OF WILD Phaseolus lunatus L. FROM THE WESTERN REGION OF MEXICO

With the aim of understanding the variability of wild populations of Phaseolus Iunatus L. collected in Western Mexico, the morphological characterization of 30 populations was carried out. The essay was established in a greenhouse at Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, in rows of 4 m in length per population. For this characterization, 10 plants were randomly chosen per plot, on which 25 qualitative and 10 quantitative traits were recorded. Data from the quantitative variables were used to calculate coefficients of correlation, cluster analysis and principal components. The qualitative variables color of hypocotyl, color of flowers and color of pods, presented significant differences among populations; the quantitative characters of greater variability were length and width of the primary leaf, length and width of leaflet, days to flowering, pod length and weight of 100 seeds. High positive correlations were found between the eight of 100 seeds and length and width of primary leaf, pod length and altitude of the collection site. Cluster analysis formed two groups: group A of late flowering and group B of early flowering, and within each group two subgroups could be recognized: A1 and B1 of small seeds from the lowlands, and A2 and B2 of large seeds from the highlands. The Biplot analysis of the first two principal components separated the populations into three groups. Group A composed of large seeds from high places, group B of small seeds from the lower parts; and group C of greater diversity. These results allow for a better understanding of the relationships among wild populations of Phaseolus lunatus from Western Mexico.