Genotype and environment effect on canning quality of dry bean grown in Saskatchewan

Canning quality traits of dry bean are affected by both the genotype and the environment. This study was conducted to determine the effects of genotype, environment and the genotype × environment interaction on canning quality traits of selected navy bean, black bean and pinto bean cultivars. Three cultivars each of navy bean and black bean and two cultivars of pinto bean were grown at several sites across Saskatchewan in the summer of 1995 and 1996. Dry bean seed samples from five sites for navy bean, four sites for black bean and six sites for pinto bean grown over 2 yr were evaluated for canning quality traits using a modified laboratory canning protocol. The cultivar effect was significant for most canning quality traits in all three bean classes. For most canning quality traits, the cultivar × year × site interaction variance predominated over the corresponding cultivar × year or cultivar × site variances and, hence, the first order interactions were considered relatively unimportant. The occurrence of early fall frost at several sites resulted in frost-damaged seed, which affected both the genetic and environmental effects on the canning quality traits. Identification of cultivar × site interactions for a few canning quality traits does not justify dividing the province into subareas for breeding and testing purposes. Key words: Phaseolus vulgaris, common bean, genotype, environment, canning quality