Six common bean cultivars (LPSPI 93-17, LPSPI 93-19, FT-Nobre, Aporé, Rudá and Campeão-1) and their 15 diallel hybrids were evaluated for four agronomic characteristics using Griffing's methodology (1956). The analysis indicated the predominance of non-additive gene effects for days to germination and plant height. The mean number of days to flowering and mean height of the first pod insertion were predominantly controlled by genes showing additive effects. The results showed that LPSI 93-19 and Aporé were indicated for intra-population breeding, while the combinations LPSPI 93-17 x FT-Nobre, LPSPI 93-17 x Aporé, LPSPI 93-17 x Rudá, LPSPI 93-19 x Campeão-1, FT-Nobre x Aporé and Rudá x Campeão-1 were indicated for interpopulational breeding. Plants with reduced height, greater height of first pod insertion, fewer number of days to flowering and to emergence can be obtained from the segregant population of the crosses LPSPI 93-17 x FT-Nobre and LPSPI 93-19 x Rudá.
Common bean; Phaseolus vulgaris; diallel analysis; plant breeding
