The goal of the present work was to evaluate the genetic gain obtained in grain yield for the common bean genotypes from 1989 until 2007, at the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, in the state of São Paulo. Genetic gain has been separated into two research periods; the first, from 1989 to 1996, and the second, from 1997 to 2007. In the first period, a genetic gain of 1.07 % per year was obtained, whereas for the second period, the gain was zero. However, the mean yield of the evaluated lines was

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... approximately 1000 kg ha-1 superior to the figures obtained in the first period. The main cause for the absence of genetic gain in the second period is that the focus of the breeding program was changed to grain quality. The individualized analysis of the genotypes with carioca grains in the second period indicated the lack of genetic gain during the investigated period.