Agronomic behavior of broad bean genotypes for the Colombian high andean zone

Broad bean cultivation is considered a productive strategy and a component of food sovereignty in Southern Colombia. Therefore, this study was carried out in order to evaluate twelve promising genotypes and two commercial controls, to expand the improved varieties supply of this legume in the future. For this, an experimental assay was established with 14 treatments and four repetitions. Where, 13 agronomic traits and the reaction to the pathogen Botrytis fabae were estimated. The information was analyzed by a simple ANOVA test. Also, a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was developed with the traits with the highest coefficient of variation. Results showed genetic diversity, with promising genotypes in relation to the controls. The number of stems, flowering days, pod formation days, pods per plant, weight of one hundred seeds, and yield allowed three groups to be identified by PCA. The first one was made up of two controls, the second group characterized by higher yields, and a third group represented by an intermediate yield added to an earliness condition. These results allow the recognition of candidate genotypes to be included into breeding programs and contribute to the crop protection.