Objective To promote the development of the broad bean industry in Fuding, Ningde City, Fujian Province, suitable fresh-eating broad bean varieties were introduced and screened.

Method Eight introduced fresh-eating broad bean varieties (lines) were used as test materials, with the local dominant cultivar 'Dongfangdali' in Fuding as the control. A field comparative trial was conducted to investigate phenological periods, agronomic traits, yield, and economic benefits of broad beans. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis were adopted for comprehensive evaluation.

Result The results showed that all eight introduced varieties adapted well to the triple-cropping rotation system in Fuding, with a whole growth period of about 166 days and favorable crop stubble matching. Three introduced varieties outyielded the control, among which 'Lingxi Dali' achieved the highest yield increase of 20.67%, with a yield of 1524.23 kg per 667 m². Correlation analysis revealed that single plant yield showed extremely significant positive correlations with pod number per plant, branch number, and plant height, which were the key traits determining broad bean yield. Four core evaluation factors were extracted via principal component analysis, with a cumulative contribution rate of 92.22%. The top four varieties in the comprehensive score were 'Lingxidali', 'Lingxiyicun', 'HF-1' and 'Zhecan1hao'.

Conclusion The four introduced varieties exhibited high yield potential and superior commodity performance with prominent economic benefits, which are worthy of further demonstration and popularization in Fuding and analogous agro-ecological regions.