Objective Genetic background of faba bean germplasms in Qinghai Province was studied to identify novel and high-quality materials for breeding program in the plateau region.

Method On the collection of 340 domestic and foreign varieties of Vicia faba L., differentiations, correlations, clustering, and principal components of the germplasms with respect to agronomic traits were organized and evaluated.

Result The coefficient of variation of the 11 traits examined on the germplasm collection ranged from 14.43% to 30.15%. The genetic diversity of the germplasms was rich with the indexes ranging from 1.396 to 2.097. Close correlations between the first fruiting height and node, between the 100-seeds weight and the pod length, and between the pods per plant and the seed weight per plant were identified as criteria for selecting high-yield varieties. The cluster analysis showed Group B to be dominant in the region and characterized by highly desirable tall plants, long and wide pods, abundant grains per plant, and high 100-seeds weight. The cumulative contribution of 4 principal components was 68.39%. The comprehensive membership function F values showed 30 top-ranking high-yield and high-quality germplasms as well as 14 cultivars with greater than 1 on the weighted scores of principal components. Among those outstanding varieties, Qingcan No. 21, coded No. 331, received the highest comprehensive score of 1.73, and Qingcan No. 28, coded No. 338, 1.56.

Conclusion The collected faba bean germplasms for the study were richly diverse genetically. Of those with desirable agronomic traits and high plant yield could conceivably be chosen as potential candidates for breeding programs.