Evaluation of Iron, Zinc, and Protein Contents of Common Bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Genotypes: A Collection from Jammu & Kashmir, India

Common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris . L), is the most important legume crop, rich in high-quality protein, energy, fiber and micronutrients especially iron, zinc, and pro-vitamin A. High genetic diversity is known to exist among bean genotypes for micronutrient densities. Considering these facts and the status of micronutrient malnutrition in the developing countries, we have evaluated the seeds of 51 common bean genotypes collected from different locations of Jammu and Kashmir, with the major objective of identifying genotypes with high protein and micronutrient contents. Results revealed that the variation in the iron (Fe) content was very high ranging from 0.71 mg to 7.22 mg 100g -1 , and the zinc (Zn) content varied from 0.43 mg to 1.93 mg 100g -1 . The variation in protein content was also very high ranging from 7.2% to 31.6%. No correlation was found for Fe, Zn, and protein contents. This variability implies that, the screened genotypes could serve as a source for breeding new varieties with improved biochemical and nutritional traits and could be highly suited to meet specific dietary requirements.