Genotype by Location Effects on Yield and Seed Nutrient Composition of Common Bean

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important staple food crop in households worldwide. Genotype and location influence phenotypic nutrient composition. However, there are limited data on the magnitude of this variation for common bean yield and nutritive value. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of location on yield and seed nutritional composition. Four globally important varieties (dark red kidney/‘Montcalm’, great northern /‘Taurus’, black /‘Eclipse’ and yellow Mayocoba/‘MY06326’) were planted for two years in four locations (Iowa, Colorado, Michigan, in the USA, and Masaka, Uganda). Yield and seed weight differed among locations and varieties. Yield in Colorado and Michigan was 42% and 56% higher than in Iowa and 76% and 81% greater than in Uganda, respectively. Eclipse had greater yield than Taurus (6%), MY06326 (16%), and Montcalm (35%). Concentration of P, K, Mg, S, and crude protein (CP) differed among varieties. Montcalm had 18%, 7%, and 4% greater P concentration and 13%, 9%, and 5% greater CP than Eclipse, MY06326 and Taurus, respectively. The location × variety interaction was significant only for seed Zn concentration. Despite differences in edaphic factors among locations, elemental concentrations other than Zn were comparatively stable among locations. Stability in seed elemental concentrations across locations and environments is important knowledge for better understanding human nutrition and malnutrition