The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutrition and the crop values of common bean land varieties. The experiments were conducted in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, in 2004/05 and 2005/06 cropping years, in a 6x6 triple lattice design. Treatments were composed of 32 common bean land varieties and four research-derived cultivars. Cultivar x environment interaction was detected for grain yield, seed coat color and cycle, what reveals a differential response of the land varieties to the different crop years. Land varieties were identified with high grain yield potential, commercially acceptable seed coat color from different commercial groups, early maturity and high dietary fiber content. '21 INT-ps 1', '9 BR-ps 5', '9 BR-ps 15', '9 BR-ps 13', '9 BR-ps 7', '38 MO M-ps 11' and '36 BR MP-ps 14' - are promising land varieties for use in breeding programs due to their high agricultural potential. Cultivar '24 OP-ps 1' presented high dietary fiber content and its potential as functional food needs further studies.
Phaseolus vulgaris L.; genetic variability; selection; dietary fiber
