Abstract

Common bean production is constrained by different diseases the major ones being, Angular Leaf Spot (ALS), bean root rot, anthracnose, Common Bright Bacteria (CBB), Bean Common Cosaic Virus (BCMV) and Bean Common Mosaic Necrotic Virus, (BCMNV). The aim of this study was to identify new and better sources of broad resistance to both bean ALS and Root Rot diseases among nutritional bean varieties. Fifty seven varieties were planted in the screen house of CIAT Africa based at Kawanda Agricultural Research Laboratories Institute (KARL). Virulent inocula actually used at CIAT were used to test these genotypes. Different varieties were resistant to specific isolates but interestingly, only ACC 714 contained broad resistance to both Andean and MesoAmerican isolates of bean Angular Leaf Spot as well as Fusarium root rot and Pythium root rot at mean, median and mode basis. Since different nutritional bean varieties have varying levels of resistance to different pathogens, it may be possible to pyramid these resistance genes into appropriate background so as to provide durable resistance in biofortified bean genotypes higher in iron and zinc content.

Keywords: Nutritional bean varieties; Pathogens; Resistance; Iron content