eng Enviro Research Publishers Current Agriculture Research Journal 2347-4688 2321-9971 2025-09-08 13 2 541 555 25087 article Saima Fayaz 1 Ajaz Ahmad Lone 2 Zahoor Ahmad Dar 2 Muneeb Ahmad Rath 1 Munezeh Rashid 2 Bilal Ahmad Mir 3 Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Division of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Dryland Agriculture Research Station, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir-191121, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Department of Botany, North Campus, University of Kashmir, Delina, Jammu and Kashmir, India Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a vital legume crop with significant nutritional and economic value, yet its productivity is limited by genetic uniformity and environmental stresses. We evaluated 75 common bean germplasm lines from Kashmir, India, for eleven agro-morphological traits using an augmented block design. High phenotypic variability was observed for plant height (CV = 64.41%) and pods per plant (CV = 41.99%), while seeds per pod (CV = 14.72%) exhibited stability. ANOVA confirmed significant genetic differences (p ≤ 0.01) for most traits, with high heritability for plant height (h² = 76.16%), seed thickness (h² = 75.06%), and seeds per pod (h² = 83.58%), indicating strong genetic control. Multivariate analyses revealed important patterns in trait variability and genetic structure. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that the first three components explained 90.08% of the total variation, driven primarily by plant height, pods per plant, and seed yield per plant. Clustering identified 16 distinct groups, with Alr-36, Kdr-45, and Alr-28 exhibiting the highest divergence and outperforming checks in yield-related traits (e.g., SYPP = 100.33 g/plant) via LSI analysis. These results highlight Kashmir’s germplasm as a reservoir of genetic diversity for breeding programs targeting yield resilience and stress adaptation. Future work should integrate multi-environment trials and genomic tools to validate and accelerate the deployment of these superior genotypes. https://www.agriculturejournal.org/volume13number2/genetic-variability-and-trait-based-selection-in-common-bean-phaseolus-vulgaris-l-germplasm-lines-from-the-kashmir-india/ Cluster analysis; Common bean; Genetic variability; Heritability; Kashmir germplasm; PCA; Seed yield