Morphological and Biochemical Characteristics of Different Varieties of Snap Beans

Snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a warm-season plant, which is originated from Andes and Mesoamerica. There are wide range of morphological and biochemical characteristics in snap bean varieties. Snap bean is harvested for its green pods. The pods are a valuable source of dietary protein, essential vitamins, low-calorie carbohydrates, fiber, and minerals for human health. The evaluation of eight different snap bean varieties, namely, ‘Pirbakran’, ‘Sunray’, ‘Burpees’, ‘Valentine’, ‘Dragon’, ‘Kentucky’, ‘Cherokee’, and ‘Id-Market’ for their cultivation and nutritional value illustrated that P. vulgaris var. Burpees’ had higher carotenoid (56%), antioxidant (16%), and  phenolic compound (69%) than the popular commercial variety’ Pirbakran’. Folate content was 33%, and total essential amino acids were 20.6% higher than ‘Pirbakran’, while the pole type ‘Kentucky’ showed better vegetative and pod yield indices. Additionally, ‘Burpees’ had the highest calcium content, which was almost 40% higher than the other varieties and two times higher in Zn compared to ‘Valentine’ and ‘Kentucky’. In conclusion, ‘Burpees’ can be recommended based on its high productivity in terms of vegetative growth and pod yield, and nutraceutical values, including folate and total essential amino acids, compared to the other seven varieties.