Xanthomonas Resistance of Phaseolus Interspecific Cross Selections Confirmed by Field Performance

Abstract

Effective genetic resistance to common bacterial blight [Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli (Smith) Dye] is not present in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars grown in Ontario. Foliar symptoms and seed yield of white pea bean breeding lines from a P. vulgaris/P. acutifolius interspecific cross in the presence and absence of common blight were evaluated. In inoculated plots, seven of the 20 breeding lines did not differ significantly in severity of foliar symptoms from the most resistant controls, XAN 159 and XAN 161. The most susceptible lines tended to have the highest yield when grown under disease-free conditions (r = 0.61 and 0.49 at two locations). However, the susceptible lines showed an average yield loss of 25% when disease-free and inoculated plots were compared, while resistant lines had little or no yield loss. The most severely infected lines tended to have the greatest loss in yield (r = 0.72 and 0.53 at two locations). A resistant breeding line from this study is available as OAC 88-1.