Evaluation of Worldwide Black Common Bean Collections for Adaptation to Western Canada.

Dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important cash and rotation crop in western Canada. However, genetic diversity in Canadian dry bean breeding programs is very limited and cultivars, especially black beans, generally lack resistance to anthracnose. One hundred and sixty black bean accessions originating from twenty countries were introduced from the USDA Phaseolus Germplasm Collection in Pullman, Washington, and evaluated for agronomic performances and resistance to anthracnose races 73 and 105. The collections were seed-increased in the greenhouse in 2008 and field evaluated in 2009, 2010, and 2011 at the Morden Research Station, Morden, Manitoba. Thirty five accessions were photo-period sensitive. Significant variation was observed in agronomic traits such as flowering date, growth habit, maturity, lodging resistance, pod colour, seed size, seed shape, seed coat pigmentation intensity, and yield potential. Some lines displayed high yield potential and good adaptation to the Manitoba growing conditions. Artificial inoculation in growth chambers identified 47 accessions that were resistant to anthracnose race 73 and 46 accessions resistant to race 105. Forty six accessions were resistant to both races of 73 and 105. Characterization of the collections with molecular markers is in progress. Identification of the genotypes with desirable seed characteristics, high yield potential, and resistance to anthracnose will provide much-needed breeding material for black bean cultivar development in Canada.