Genotype X environmental effects on food quality of common bean: resource-efficient testing procedures

Genetic and environmental interactions for bean cooking time, water absorption, and protein content were estimated with 10 dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars grown at three locations in Rwanda, Africa, during five consecutive harvests. The genotypic variance component was larger than genotype X environment variance components for the cooking time index and percent water absorption. No significant genotypic effect was observed for seed protein content. The phenotypic correlation (-0.37) between the cooking time index and percent water absorption was not strong enough to justify the use of water absorption as an indirect selection method for cooking time. The most efficient allocation of resources to evaluate the cooking time of common bean cultivars with a 25-pin bar-drop cooker was four field replications over two harvests at two locations. Water absorption was evaluated most efficiently with four field replications over two harvests at a single location.