Inheritance and Association of Flower, Ovule, Seed, Pod, and Maturity Characters in Dry Edible Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)1

Abstract

Abstract The accessions, PI 255960 (P1) (purple flowers, colored seed, curved pod tip, large seed) and G-19007 (P2) (white flowers, straight pod tip, white seed) of Phaseolus vulgaris L., both late maturing with many ovules and seeds per pod, were crossed with each other and with 2 early maturing, white flowered, white seeded, straight pod tip, low ovule number/pod parents, ‘Great Northern (GN) Emerson’ (P3) and ‘GN UI#59’ (P4). P1 and P2 appeared to possess the same genes for high ovule number/pod. The continuous distributions of ovule number/pod, seed number/pod, and seed weight in the F2 generations of the other crosses indicated quantitative inheritance. However, segregation data in their F3 generations suggested that ovule number/pod may be determined by additive action of the alleles of a single major gene. Moderately high broad sense heritability estimates were obtained for these traits. Purple flower color and seed-coat color were controlled by 2 different complementary dominant genes. Striped pod color and curved pod tip shape (Ct) were each controlled by different single dominant genes. Days to flowering was controlled by a single completely dominant gene; pod maturity was controlled by a single incompletely dominant gene for lateness. Linkage occurred between genes for flower color and pod color pattern, flower color and pod tip shape, and flower color and maturity. High seed number/pod was associated with purple flowers, colored seeds, and late maturity in the F2 of P3 × P1. Late maturity and high seed number/pod were also associated in the F2 of P4×P1, P3× P2 and P4 × P2. Moderately large negative correlations were found between number of seeds/pod and seed weight in all crosses involving P1 and P2. High ovule number/pod was associated with indeterminate growth habit and moderately late flowering in the F2 progeny from the indeterminate cultivar ‘G.N. Nebr. # 1’, crossed with a determinate isoline. No association between seed weight & seed-coat color was observed in the F2 of P3 × P1, and P4 × P1, but there was association between large seed and both late maturity and flower color.