Genetic Resources of Phaseolus Beans. Their Mainte- nance, Domestication, Evolution, and Utilization. 1988. (Current Plant Science and Biotechnology in Agriculture). numerous colour photos and line-drawings. tabs. XIII,613 p. gr8vo. Hard cover.

Phaseolus beans (common bean, lima bean, tepary bean, and runner beanare the most important food legumes for human consumption. They providea significant portion of the dietary protein intake in Latin America andEastern Africa. For the first time, information on a broad range oftopics concerning the genetic resources of Phaseolus beans has beenassembled in a single volume. These topics include not only germplasmmaintenance (including exploration, seed storage, and documentation),but also information on the genetic structure of the cultivated species(as influenced by domestication and evolutionary forces) and on breedingmethodology to incorporate additional genetic variability intoimproved cultivars.