Breeding for Drought Tolerance in Dry Beans.

Drought is one of the most limiting abiotic factors in dry beans. The extent and duration of both intermittent and terminal drought stress directly impact yield and seed quality and their effects can be amplified by interactions with high temperature, disease, and soil type. The development of dry bean cultivars that require less water or have better water use efficiency will enhance management options for maintaining profitability. The objective of this research was to screen and identify elite exotic dry bean germplasm for drought tolerance. Seven drought tolerant lines from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) were tested in three Nebraska locations from 2005-2007 in paired stressed and non stressed experiments. Results will be presented.