62

Early (Phaseolus vulRaris L. and P. lunatus) L. domesticated for their aesthetic value ?

D. G. Debouck-^

On the bcisis of archaeological (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1988; Lynch e\¿_ al, 1985; Tarrago, 1980) and biochemical (Gopts et al, J986; Gcpts, 1988) evidences, there is now Little doubt that common beans were domesticated in part in the southern Andes (Peru from 10 S, Bolivia, northwestern Argentina) at least 8000 years before present. These ancient beans (i.e. those from Guitarrero, Kaplan, 1980) appear as fully domesticated, i.e., no transition In seed size from their smaller wild counterparts has been found so far. The same statements also apply to the lima , with little variation in dates. In the archaeological sites investigated so far (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1988; Engel, 1987; Poarsall, 1978), ceramic artifacts appeared at the earliest 3000 years later. So why were beans domesticated if there was no means to cook them, since antinutritional factors such as phytohaemagglutinins in P. vulgaris (e.g. Liener, 1980) or cyanogenic glycoside in P^. lunatus (e.g., Guignard, 1906) were present? Two possibilities can be considered: either the beans were domesticated in the southern Andes first as food plants, or, the beans were domesticated there for other non-food purposes and were used as food plants later on. My germplasm explorations in Peru for four years and recently in Bolivia could give some new insights on that matter. In traditional Peru, there are still nowadays several ways of food without . Among these, in the highlands, is the "pachamanca" or "watya", the former word in quechua meaning pan in the soil. Briefly, a poL-hole dug in the soil is filled with fuel wood and covered with stones. After burning, it is filled with pieces of food alternating with hot stones. Two hours later, food is cooked. It remains to be demonstrated how water-soluble and heat-stable antinutritional factors arc eliminated in these systems. On the other hand, there are the nuñas or popped beans, which can be cooked on any hot surface. In P^. vulgaris, the nuñas are grown in the highlands from southern Cajabamba (Peru) to northern Chuquisaca (Bolivia). Indeed, some of the Guitarrero beans could be nuñas. About P.- lunatus, when in Tarasona, Chosica, Lima, I was given a landrace (DGD # 2140) which according to the farmer can be toasted. But the problem of the antinutritional factors during is still present. Beside the popped nuñas and the normally boiled frijoles, there is a third group of P^. vulgaris beans in southern Peru and Bolivia: the "chuis". These are brightly colored and nearly spherical (100 seeds weight 40-50 g), and serve as toys for children. This special but still common use among the country folk was previously observed by Cardenas (1969), De la Vega (1609) and Parodi (1966) in Bolivia, southern Peru, and northwestern Argentina, respectively. In traditional Boli.via today, the ?_. lunatus "pallares" and "palatos" are grown m.ostly for that purpose and secondarily as a food plant (Debouck, 1988) or as an emergency food, confirming what Vivante (1941) said about the Peruvian pallares.

1. Bean Program, Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical, A.A. 67-13, Cali, Colombia. 63

Hawkcs (1983) pointed out the importance of the "aesthetic selection" to account Cor the diversity in many . In beans, this selection has lasted since they were domesticated, i.e., for 9000 years, and could have still consequences on today's cultivars (e.g. the relatively high levels of cyanogenic glycoside in some P. lunatus culLivars, Vanderborght, 1979). It cinn also perfectly account for the tremendous vari.ation in seed colors and patterns perhaps unmatched in any other .

Literature cited Cardenas, M. (1969) Manual de Plantas Económicas de Bolivia. Imprenta le thus, Cochabambam, Bol i. via, -421 p. Dcbouck, D.G. (1988) Recolección de Germoplasma de Phaseolus en Bolivia. CIAT, Cali, Colombia, mimeographed, 24 p. De La Vega, C. (ai)rox. 1609) Comentarios Reales de los Incas. Libreria Internacional del Peru, S.A., Lima, Perú. Engel, I''.A. (1987) De las begonias al m.aiz, vida y producción en el Perú antiguo. Ediagraria, UNA, La Molina, Lima, Perú, 255 p. Cepts, P. (1988) J[n Genetic Resources of Phaseolus beans, Klüver Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Holland, p. 215-241. Gepts, P, Osborn, T.C., Rashka, K. , & Bliss, F.A. (1986) Econ. Bot. 40:451-468, Guignard, L. (1906) C.R. Acad. Sei. Paris, 142:545-553. Hawkes, J.G. (1983) The diversity of Crop Plants. Harvard Univ. Press, Cam.bridge, Mass., USA, 184 p. Kaplan, L. (1980) In_ Guitarrero . Early Man in the Andes. Academic Press, NY, p. 145-148. Kaplan, L. & Kaplan L.N. (1988) In Genetic Resources of Phaseolus beans, Klijwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Holland, p. 125-142. Liener, I.E. (1980) Tn^ Advances in Legume Science, Roval Botanic Garden, Kcw, p. 157-170. Lynch Ï.F., Gillepsie, R., Gowlett, J.A.J. & Hedges, R.E.M. (1985) Science 229:864-867. Parodi, L.R. (1966) La agricultura aborigen argentina. Editorial Universitaria de Buenos Aires (Eudeba), 47 p. Pearsall, D.M. (1978) In The nature and status of Ethnobotany, Anthropological Papers, Museum of Anthropology, Univ. of Michigan, No. 67, p. 389-416.

Tarrago, M.N. (1980) IM Actas V Congreso de Arqueología Argentina, Tomo 1. Univ. Nacional de San Juan, Inst. de Investigaciones Arqueológicas y Museo, p. 181-217. Vanderborght, T. (1979) Annales de Gem.bloux 85:29-41. Vivante, A. (1941) Rev. Geog. Amer. 15(92):297-310.