The calcium concentration in the pods of several snap beans was studied in two experiments carried out in 1997 and 1998 in Londrina, Paraná state, Brazil. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used. Pods classified as number four (8.3 to 9.4 mm diameter) were assessed. The calcium concentrations in the cultivars Xera, Paulista, Florence, 274, F-15, Nerina, Anseme and UEL-1 were compared by the Duncan test at P < 0.05. In the two years analyzed, the Xera cultivar presented the greatest calcium concentration with an average of 6.1 mg calcium/g dry matter, while the Nerina cultivar showed the lowest concentrations with 4.5 mg calcium/g dry matter. It was concluded that calcium accumulation in the pod was influenced by the genotype of the cultivar regardless of the agricultural year studied.
Phaseolus vulgaris L.; nutrition; breeding
