High Genetic Diversity in the Himalayan Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) Germplasm with Divergence from Its Center of Origin in the Mesoamerica and Andes

The common bean is found in the Himalayan region of Pakistan with substantial morphological variability. Genetic diversity within any crop species is a precursor for genetic improvement; however, little is known about common bean genetic diversity in this region. We explored the genetic diversity in the common bean from the Himalayan region (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit–Baltistan, Kashmir) of Pakistan. Microsatellite genotyping was carried out for 147 samples with 40 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The results revealed a clear divergence of the Pakistani population from the primary gene pool (with FST values of 0.2 with Andes and 0.27 with Mesoamerica). However, within the Himalayan germplasm, no clear evidence of spatial structure was observed (with the maximum FST values of only 0.025), probably due to the dispersal of seeds by human activity within the region. This was further elucidated by the discriminant analyses of principal components. Considering the diversity parameters, high genotypic diversity was observed for the indigenous lines (0.990), comparable to the primary gene pool (0.976 for Mesoamerica and 0.976 for Andes populations). A high genotypic diversity was observed within the Himalayan population (ranging from 0.500 for Upper Dir to 0.952 for Mansehra). Gene diversity across loci varied between 0.28 for Chitral to 0.38 for Kurram. Our results suggested a divergent and independent evolution of the Himalayan population, which might have led to the diversification of the common bean germplasm in the region postintroduction into the region. The diversity observed could also be exploited in future breeding programs for the development and introduction of climate-resilient varieties