Development of Molecular Markers Linked to Disease Resistance of Edible Beans to Common Bacterial Blight (CBB) and Anthracnose

Crop Dry Bean
Start Date2012
End Date2015
Principal InvestigatorYu, Kangfu , Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
MPSG Financial Support$30,000
Total Project Funding$30,000
ReportMolecular-Markers-for-Bacterial-Blight-Anthracnose_Dry-Beans

Research Objectives

  1. To develop molecular markers associated with resistance of edible bean to common bacterial blight (CBB) and application of the markers in CBB resistance variety development in Manitoba
  2. To develop molecular markers associated with resistance of edible bean to anthracnose  and application of the markers in anthracnose resistance variety development in Manitoba

Project Description

Common bacterial blight (CBB) and anthracnose are serious diseases of edible bean production in Manitoba and Canada. The current use of the antibiotic streptomycin to control CBB through seed-treatment can have serious concerns/effects on human and/or animal health. Copper compounds (e.g., Kocide) for foliar application have also been used frequently to control CBB, but they are costly and ineffective. Treatment of bean seeds with DCT to control anthracnose is of toxic concerns and also costly. The use of genetic resistance to control these diseases is an environmentally sound and effective approach. Resistance genes/or QTL for these diseases are available in edible beans. Because of the complex genetic control of CBB and the number of resistance genes involved in anthracnose resistance, conventional selection has not been effective in the development of edible bean cultivars for CBB and anthracnose resistance. The use of molecular markers to assist the selection and pyramiding of the genes will speed up the breeding process for multi-disease resistance cultivar development.