Characterizing the genetic variability of part of the germplasm existing in the hands of producers of beans in Rio Grande do Sul, and of cultivars produced by research, and gathering them together in groups of genetic similarity was the objective of the work done by researchers Jo\u00e3o Baptista da Silva and Lessandra Silva Rodrigues, from the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Iraj\u00e1 Ferreira Antunes, from Embrapa\u2019s Temperate Agriculture research center, and Marcelo Grandi Teixeira, from Embrapa\u2019s Agrobiology central unit.\u00a0 The result is to be found in the article Genetic divergence amongst local cultivars and improved cultivars of beans, for which they assessed the genetic divergence of 37 local cultivars (land races) and 14 cultivars indicated by research in Rio Grande do Sul, using 40 morphological descriptors (the great majority of these descriptors are needed for legal protection) Multivaried analysis was used, by the intermediary of main components and a method of grouping.\u00a0 As a result, the local cultivars revealed \u201cvariability superior to that found in the cultivars arising from research, which suggests the importance of including them in programs for improvement,\u201d say the authors of the study.<\/p>\n