SELECTION OF LANDRACES OF LIMA BEAN FOR FAMILY AGRICULTURE

Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) is the second most important socioeconomic species of the genus, consisting of a food alternative as green or mature beans. It is an income option for family farmers and the lack of superior varieties makes its recommendation difficult, considering the peculiar lima bean variability. Thus, aimed to select landraces of lima beans based on desirable agronomic traits, enabling their use in breeding programs and later recommendations to family farmers. Evaluation trials were carried out with 14 landraces of lima beans in the municipalities of Sao Domingos do Maranhao - MA, Teresina - PI, Bom Jesus - PI, and Tiangua - CE. The agronomic traits were evaluated: number of days until flowering, number of days until pod maturation, pod length, pod width, pod thickness, number of seeds per pod, 100-seed weight, and grain yield. The data were initially subjected to univariate analysis of variance to determine the genetic variability in different environments and, subsequently, to multivariate and cluster analyses. The evaluated landraces showed genetic divergence, not being grouped according to geographic origin, demonstrating the existence of similarity between germplasms of rural communities in neighboring states. The varieties Boca de Moca, Raio de Sol, and Fava Branca CE are the earliest; Boca de Moca, Rajada, and Raio de Sol presented the longest pods and largest seeds; and Boca de Moca, Rajada, and Mulatinha are the most productive. Therefore, it qualifies them for recommendation to family farmers and/or incorporation in lima bean breeding programs.