The potential use of common bean land cultivars with respect to their agronomic performance, cooking time and nutritional quality has scarcely been evaluated in breeding programs. The objective of the present study was to evaluate 19 common bean land cultivars for their agronomic traits, cooking time, and mineral concentration in grains to identify cultivars for potential use by a higher number of farmers or even breeding programs. Two field experiments were conducted in Alegrete and Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, in the 2012/2013 season. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks with three replications. A total of 23 cultivars were evaluated; 19 land cultivars were obtained from smallholder farmers from RS, and there were four control cultivars (Carioca, Pérola, BRS Valente, and Guapo Brilhante). The traits evaluated included the cycle, insertion of the first pod, grain yield, cooking time, and concentrations of calcium, iron, zinc, and copper in the grains. The data were subjected to joint variance analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and the Z index. The common bean cultivars showed differences in the cycle, insertion of the first pod, grain yield, cooking time, calcium, iron, zinc, and copper concentrations in grains, and the Z index. The cultivars Preto Miúdo and Cavalo Rajado had a high grain yield, i.e., greater than 2,900 kg ha -1 . The land cultivars were classified as having early and intermediate cycles, and all had cooking times less than 30 min. Palha Roxa, Carioca Vermelho, and Perdiz had high concentrations of calcium, iron, zinc, and copper in the grains, an intermediate cycle, and low grain yield. Positive correlations of moderate magnitude were observed between the calcium and iron (r= 0.597), iron and zinc (r= 0.570), and zinc and copper (r= 0.548) concentrations. Indirect selection for high iron or zinc concentrations in grains will be effective for obtaining common bean cultivars with a higher nutritional quality. A cross between Carioca Santa Maria and Guapo Brilhante cultivar is recommended to obtain segregants with high agronomic performance, fast cooking, and high minerals concentration in the grains. Key words: Z index. Genotype x environment interaction. Phaseolus vulgaris L. Genetic variability.
ResumoO potencial de uso das cultivares crioulas de feijão quanto ao desempenho agronômico e a qualidade de cozimento e nutricional foi pouco avaliado pelos programas de melhoramento. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar 19 cultivares crioulas de feijão quanto aos caracteres agronômicos, tempo de
