Genetic diversity among wild common beans from northwestern argentina based on morpho-agronomic and RAPD data

The genetic diversity among 10 wild populations of common bean Phaseolus vulgaris var. aborigineus was analyzed by means of RAPD markers and morpho-agronomic data. The study was performed on populations collected from different sites located in the provinces of Jujuy, Salta and Tucuman in northwestern Argentina. Ten quantitative traits and 33 random primers were scored. Clustering based on morpho-agronomic traits and RAPD markers generated similar phenograms that grouped bean populations based on their site of collection. The levels of diversity observed among populations were low suggesting they have a common ancestor. The levels of diversity shown by morpho-agronomic traits were higher compared to those of molecular markers, most probably due to the effect of the environment. Furthermore, a 480-bp DNA band identified a group of wild populations collected from similar sites. Breeding strategies need to exploit this diversity to broaden the genetic base of commercial beans to develop high yield cultivars.