The inheritance of hilum ring color in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) was investigated using various genetic tester stocks developed by backcrossing recessive alleles into a recurrent parent stock 5-593 with seedcoat genotype P [C r] D J G B V Rk, viz., mar BC2 5-593, mar BC3 5-593, mar v BC2 5-593, mar d BC2 5-593, and mar d BC3 5-593. The current hypothesis is that the margo character is controlled by mar and hilum ring color is controlled by d but expresses only with mar. The V locus controls flower and seedcoat color. The allelism test crosses `Citroen' (P C d j g b vlae) × mar BC3 5-593 and `Citroen' × mar d BC3 5-593 demonstrated that mar is allelic with j and that the putative d in mar d BC3 5-593 is allelic with the d in `Citroen'. Thus, the former genetic tester stocks mar BC3 5-593 and mar d BC3 5-593 are reclassified as j BC3 5-593 and d j BC3 5-593, respectively, because mar is a synonym for j. Similarly, the former genetic tester stock mar v BC2 5-593 is reclassified as j v BC2 5-593. The interaction of j with d expresses as loss of color in the hilum ring. The development of the white-seeded genetic tester stock P cu d j BC3 5-593 was described in detail, where the all-recessive tester `Prakken 75' was used as the source of the recessive alleles. The previously reported work showing that the partly colored seedcoat gene t interacts with mar to control seedcoat pattern is now interpreted to mean that the joker (J) locus interacts with t to produce partly colored seedcoat patterns. The genetic loci D and V were found to segregate independently. The common gene for dull seedcoats (asper, asp) is discussed and contrasted with j.
The Margo (mar) Seedcoat Color Gene Is a Synonym for the Joker (j) Locus in Common Bean