W5150: Breeding Phaseolus Beans for Resilience, Sustainable Production, and Enhanced Nutritional Value

(Multistate Research Project)

Status: Active

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SAES-422 Reports

Annual/Termination Reports:

[01/05/2026]

Date of Annual Report: 01/05/2026

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 11/06/2025 - 11/06/2025
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2024 - 09/30/2025

Participants

Sandra Branham;
Miranda Haus;
David Gang;
Christine Diepenbrock;
Carlos Urrea;
Jim Myers;
Juan Osorno;
Jenna Hershberger;
Emmalea Ernest;
Evan Wright;
Donna Harris;
Jose Figueroa Cerna;
Travis Parker;
Burcu Celebioglu;

Online;
James Beaver;
Judith Brown

Brief Summary of Minutes

Meeting minutes from last year were approved (unanimous).

A new secretary was elected: Miranda Haus

Members introduced themselves

Planning for 2027 annual meeting: will be held in PR, Jim Beaver agreed, will try to get permission for February

David Gang Multistate Hatch overview:

Overview of Multistate (HATCH supported)
- 5 year projects, just renewed so the new on is starting this year
  - Now 5150 instead of 4150
- Supports ag research across many states (national level problems)
- Meetings are meant to discuss priorities and what to do about it
- Annual report that demonstrates we are doing what we said we will do
  - Supports long term research, so we need to provide this mostly to staffers in congress
  - Each state gets ~0.5 page
- Parts of an Impact story
  - Issue
    - Each state will do their own impact and we’ll put it all together
    - 2-3 sentences, (something a staffer can say in 30 seconds)
  - Briefly discuss the approach
  - Outline should only be major findings, not a bunch of data
  - What is the major impact?
    - Examples: how did we change water use? How did we improve health of pregnant people? Etc.…
    - Bad examples: Other breeders can use my markers.
  - Each lab can do their own impact story
- Will share the Impact Statement graphic
- There is a searchable data base that NIFA pulls from every year to make a booklet and share with policy makers
  - https://nidb.landgrantimpacts.org/impacts/search
  - If nothing goes in, no one sees it
- David Gang will confirm that we only need to do a final report
- Diepenbrock and S. Branham will put together a list/template/general outline
  - Number of acres for a major variety release is more impressive than total number of variety releases

State reports (in reverse alphabetical order):

Wyoming: Donna Harris

Jim Heiholt retired,

graduate student just defended
- Looked at DDP in well watered and water deficient experiments
- Worked with Phil Miklas (2 years data) for terminal drought

Prisa Keena
- Popping bean x black bean RIL,
- Identified 3 QTL
- New methods for popping in seed in sand
- Planning F6 in greenhouse for confirmation study on QTL

Breeding program
- Advanced lines in testing
- Wyoming Bean Commission want high yielding, short stature, but very early maturity
  - harvestable by August, or if in late, then still harvestable at all
  - specifically in pintos
- Drone work to use canopy temp for reliable prediction of yield data
  - Always a negative correlation

Washington: David Gang

Popping bean SCRI is off the ground and running

Presented at NAPB, highlighted beans at food event

Sarah grew out crosses to build a population with yellow and popping beans

South Carolina: Sandra Branham and Jenna Hershberger

Snap beans
- Snap bean panel screened for heat tolerance
  - Counted pods, but need methods for end of use to improve heritability estimates
    - How long pods left in the field after counting
  - Developing protocols for screening aerial pythium because current methods do not work
- Making crosses of the most heat tolerant accessions
- Whole-genome sequencing of the commercial standard ‘Caprice’

Lima beans
- 3^rd year growing out heirloom germplasm, small plots of 400 accessions phenotyped for a variety of traits
- Developing methods for confirmation of crosses
- Trying to optimize a protocol for male sterility
- Bought a harvester, so getting that ready
- Vegetable pathologist has left, but a new one hired to collaborate on anthracnose and other major diseases
- Phaseolus ontology is ongoing

Puerto Rico: Jim Beaver

Tim Porch is in the process of 7 variety releases for drought tolerance

Final testing of pinto and great northern lines for drought and drought x heat and biotic resistance

Consuelo is working on tepary release (with MSU and USDA) for drought resistance

Releasing alameda photoperiod incentive white seeded line as an alternative crop for green shield (with Jenna Hershberger)

Releasing a red mottled with resistance to BCMNV, BYMV, and will be submitted to plant registrations when done

Testing a white bean line as a potential release (viral resistance?)

Regional importance: twice banded bean thrip is becoming increasingly problematic, doing replicated yield trials in the upcoming years

Winter nursery again as a collaborative activity

Increased rust and anthracnose differentials
- Please share any lines you would like to see in 2027

Carlos Urrea asked about the thrips, JB: the winter nurseries were fine this year, and we have a method of control using insecticides, but resistance is the goal
- What was your experience Carlos?
  - I didn’t have any problems.

Oregon: Jim Myers

Jim is transitioning into retirement
- Replacement will be hired (in process)
- The focus of this person will likely depend on the experience of the person and the status of snap bean work is unknown

Decline in acreage of snap beans over the years
- 8k acres that are somewhat stable, 1 major processor
- Not enough to support a breeding program

What do we do with all the germplasm?
- Much of it will go to NPGS (sp. the Chinese and Spanish lines)
- Root rot resistant line

Heat tolerance is becoming more of an issue,
- Split set of snap beans, young and mature pods after a heat event

White mold is still a large part of the program
- National sclerotinia nursery is still ongoing, straw testing happening now
- RIL screening (mix of dry and snap bean) is ongoing
- MAGIC population supported by national Sclerotinia initiative is also ongoing, 900 lines phenotyped, but genotyping is paused until government reopens
  - Population is also being characterized by Burcu and Travis Parker
    - Looking at string segregation
  - Germplasm release for moderate resistance on its way
    - Osu7-66
    - Osu7318 to replace current variety
  - Popping Beans
    - Variety showcase results had 35 responses and people almost unanimously enjoyed beans
    - Nuna and yellows are crossing for improved agronomic traits, additional crossing to nuña beans need to be done to ensure popping ability
      - Popping percentage is high, but popping expansion can be improved
    - Snap diversity panel is about 385 accessions now,
      - Three requests at this meeting alone
    - Collaboration with Travis and Burcu to identify the flat/oval reversion for pod shape
      - Allelic difference now known
      - Validated with 80 lines in the field

North Dakota: Juan Osorno

NDSU lets him now use HATCH funding for funding the research technician if lab is active in multistate project

Released a new black bean “Galaxy” to replace Eclipse (previously 96% of acreage)
- ND Twilight was before, but purplish beans resulted

In 2 weeks, at variety release meeting will propose to release a new small red
- Evan said it looks really nice
- Also white mold tolerant

Released a pink called Rosalyn, high yielding

White mold MAGIC population resulted in identifying a couple of lines that yielded well under high white mold pressure AND were slow darkening pintos

Drone work

Rhizobium work has a lot of potential, collaboration with high throughput phenotyping of rhizobia activity

Anthracnose is present in fields
- First time since 2007 when accidently received contaminated seed
- Mild, but we need to pay attention to it
- Varieties that are known to be resistance were showing symptoms. Mild symptoms; typical on foliage, but different symptoms on pods (clusters, no pink coloration)
- Pathologists says its not the typical anthracnose, currently with Linda Hanson and Halima Awale, but government is closed
  - Likely incantum, but three hits total
- Also found on soybeans and pigweed (possible alternative host?)
  - Previously reported on both soybeans and snap beans
  - Judy: Mild in both hosts?
    - JO: Yes
  - SB: Had a similar situation with Pseudomonas, DNA barcoding said it was 3 hits, but ended up being something else
  - Will screen all lines to this isolate and at least one black bean look symptomless

Nebraska: Carlos Urrea

Hail problem end of June so a lot of variety trials were harvested late

Assembled the NCDBN, suggesting changing checks to Pink Panther, Monterrey,

Two popping beans line were part of the trial

24 lines with Cooperative Dry Bean Nursery
- Matterhorn as resistant, Stampede tolerant, Tepary 22 as resistant for drought

Excited for 66 lines, promising agronomics with yield highs and seed quality

Gemini project for interspecific lines are performing well

CSA news: donated pinto lines to Tanzania for drought tolerance, disease resistance, and high yield
- Tanzanian farmers report highly of the line, some potential for Kenya
- It doesn’t do well here due to the darkening

San “” 1735 is about to be released, great northern variety

Michigan: Evan Wright

Streamlining canning phenotyping focusing on cracking

White mold isolation, 300 isolates testing aggressiveness, straw tests ongoing

Drone work looking at maturity and stand counts and white mold detection/rating

Breeding
- CL5 is in a good black bean background, competitive yield, but not great
  - Trying to get into other market classes (kidneys, small reds, pintos)
- Ex2145 with Ken Kmiciek to phenotype and moving towards mapping and field testing

See notes on Juan’s report on anthracnose
- Judy: are you sure it’s the same as “”
  - JO: Maybe coming via airborne vectors of some sort
- Variety release
  - Couple of releasees for south Africa (international)
  - N22616 likely released (navy)
  - K22605 kidney

Delaware- Emmalea

Variety trials being screened for heat tolerance
- Industry partnership
- 23 varieties screened, 3 were acceptable yields
  - Raptor (KWS), a second KWS, Greenback (Syngenta)
- Collab with VSU looking at dry bean varieties for succulent harvest stage (shelling beans)
  - Small scale growing interest
  - 18 varieties from ADM,
    - Several looked good from cranberries and dark
  - Growers want some small reds for this, but none were in the trial, so future focus
- Lima bean SCRI project,
  - Continued to test for (microgram)
  - Variety testing of green baby lima beans with ADM, cypress, meadow, emperor
    - Kingston also okay, but lacks disease resistance
  - Specialty types for non-green seeded
  - 20-30% of green baby limas planted no-till,
    - Growers appear happier and getting better at general methods
    - Processors are more accepting now that their lines can get rid of small debris to an acceptable level
  - Jim Myers: what are the heat tolerant lines for the growers using?
    - Heat resistant snap beans pv857 and greenback
    - Sombaro is alright
  - No flat bean trials

California: Christine Diepenbrock

Ongoing lima SCRI work, see other collaborators notes

ew rRobot for simulating stomach contractions and looking at nutrient release from common bean

Reconsidering viny types also based on grower interest, previously focused on bush types

Did NPGS genotyping and phenotyping work

Lima bean sensory and iron bioavailability is promising (short cooking times, high bioavailability)

Stink bug problem this year, likely contaminated from neighboring tomato field

Valerio and Rob are doing 12K chip, so results coming soon

Extension specialists interested in herbicide testing
- May be first post emergence options

Arizona: Judy Brown

BCMV isolates are being sequenced, potential co-evolution of seedborne isolates
- Tepary beans don’t seem to mind it as they perform well but 60-90% of seeds have BCMV
- Symptomatic always have BCMV on seeds, but asymptomatic is 50:50
- Optimizing PCR for identification and quantification

Annual Meeting Adjourned.

Accomplishments

<p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Overall summary: the varieties released by members of this project and new sources of useful traits that they identify (e.g., disease resistance, slow seed coat darkening) will directly benefit growers and consumers of Phaseolus beans and support food, nutritional, and farm economic security. The members of this project are also regularly disseminating their findings in public-facing venues and among the research community, which is highly collaborative. The Bean Improvement Cooperative biennial meeting (concurrently held this year with the Hatch annual meeting in Nov. 2025 in Lincoln, NE) and annual reports (volume 68 published in August 2025) continue to be an important venue for information exchange, scientific and organizational discussions, poster presentations (e.g., by graduate students and postdoctoral researchers), and further forging of new and continued collaborations. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Listed in reverse alphabetical order by state: Wyoming Report W4150 Field trials were conducted on the Durango diversity panel of genotypes to evaluate their performance under varying water regimes (100%, 80%, and 60% evapotranspiration). Agronomic, physiological, morphological, and phenological trait assessments revealed that harvest index and pod harvest index were key predictors of grain yield, highlighting efficient biomass partitioning into seeds. Additionally, CT and NDVI were identified as reliable indirect indicators of drought stress. Yield-based drought tolerance indices, including geometric mean productivity and yield reduction identified potential tolerant genotypes such as 'Galeena', 'Max', 'AC Scarlet', and 'PK9-7'. The drought-tolerant genotypes exhibited enhanced seed set physiology relative to the drought-sensitive genotypes. These Durango genotypes are promising candidates for breeding programs aimed at enhancing drought tolerance in dry beans. For the Wyoming dry bean breeding program, we have two pinto lines that were submitted to the cooperative dry bean nursery in 2025.  Data has not yet been received from these trials, but if lines continue to yield well in this test, they will be submitted for a second year to this test for further testing before a potential release.  We anticipate that an additional two lines will be submitted to this regional yield trial in 2026. We have been testing the correlation between canopy temperature and yield in dry beans for the past several years.  Prior to 2023, a hand-held device was used.  Starting in 2023, we engaged a drone to collect this data.  Results from commercial cultivars grown in 2022 - 2025 across two locations indicate that when mid-season canopy temperatures were lower, the yield was greater.  If further testing continues to support this finding, the impact would be that breeders could use a drone to determine yield of their thousands of yield test plots quickly and efficiently without having to combine all of these plots.  Selection via a drone could take place in the first one to two years of yield testing to weed out the lowest yielding lines before moving to more advanced yield testing where a combine would be used, saving the breeding program, time, money, and labor.  Currently, we are focused on obtaining more time points over the course of the season to determine the most important time period(s) for collecting canopy temperature data.  NDVI has also correlated with yield.  In the future, we would also like to look at combining NDVI and canopy temperature data and perhaps some other measurements collected with the multi-spec drone to determine what combination of traits best correlates with yield. Popping beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)  are a class of common bean native to the highlands of South America. They belong to the Andean gene pool and when heated expand while creating a “pop” sound similar to popcorn. The toasted soft-texture beans have the potential of being a healthy snack. Identifying the genetic control of the popping trait is valuable in developing suitable cultivars for production in the United States. We are currently developing a RIL population of a popping bean x non popping parent to identify and characterize QTLs associated with the popping trait in this bi-parental population. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Washington (USDA-ARS) (Girish Ganjyal, Phillip Miklas, David Gang): <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Analyzed proximate composition of select novel popping bean cultivars. Extracted protein, starch, and fiber fractions from selected popping bean cultivars. Quantified the techno-functional properties of protein, starch, and whole flour from popping beans. Determined the cookie baking quality of popping bean flour. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">South Carolina (Sandra Branham and Jenna Hershberger): <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">New breeding programs at Clemson University are focused on breeding improved cultivars of snap beans (Branham lab) and lima beans (Hershberger lab) with improved quality and heat tolerance for the Southeastern US. The Branham lab previously screened the USDA Snap bean diversity panel and identified accessions that produced 72% more marketable snapbeans than the standard commercial cultivar under heat stress, which has the potential to make domestic production more resilient to rising temperatures and increase profits for growers. Five accessions had reliably higher yields across seasons in South Carolina. Initial crosses have been made and selections for pod production under heat stress were made in the F2 populations to initiate the breeding program. This summer, the Hershberger lab evaluated 287 South Carolina heirloom and PI accessions of lima beans in a field trial in Florence, South Carolina for a third season. Evaluated traits include yield components, flowering date, plant architecture, and succulent seed nutritional quality (starch, zinc, iron, and protein). Initial crosses were made in 2024 and progeny are being advanced in the greenhouse through single seed descent. Dr. Hershberger is coordinating with two other W-4150 members, Dr. Christine Diepenbrock (California) and Dr. Emmalea Ernest (Delaware), to obtain whole genome sequencing for a core collection of ~600 lima bean accessions. In fall 2025, the group submitted a joint USDA AFRI proposal leveraging this resource. Clemson is leading the development of a lima bean crop ontology, a trait dictionary to standardize phenotyping across breeding programs both within the US and internationally. Several other W-4150 members have contributed, and a revised draft is under review by the lima bean research community now, with publication planned for 2026. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Puerto Rico (Timothy Porch-USDA-ARS; James Beaver, and Consuelo Estéves de Jensen-U. of Puerto Rico): <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Project W 4150, significantly strengthened bean improvement efforts in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean by integrating conventional breeding, field evaluation, and molecular tools to address major disease constraints. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The project identified a diverse complex of Fusarium species affecting common bean root rot and confirmed resistant cultivars, improving diagnostic capacity and disease management strategies. In collaboration with USDA/TARS, novel resistance to the Asian bean flower thrips was identified in black bean line EMP 319, enabling the development of new breeding populations and advanced lines with improved insect resistance. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">High-yielding and broadly disease-resistant germplasm was developed across multiple market classes. The white bean line PR1627-8 demonstrated stable yield and resistance to angular leaf spot, rust, bean golden yellow mosaic virus (BGYMV), and bean common mosaic virus, and is under consideration for release. Marker-assisted selection enabled pyramiding of multiple resistance genes, including Ur-5 and Ur-11 rust resistance, resulting in elite lines with enhanced and durable disease resistance. Multiple advanced snap, pinto, yellow, black, and Andean bean lines combining resistance to BGYMV, BCMV, BCMNV, rust, common bacterial blight, and bruchids were identified and validated across locations. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The release of bruchid-resistant black and dark red bean germplasm (PR1303-129 and PR1743-44) provides growers with improved postharvest seed quality and reduced storage losses. Overall, the project delivered elite germplasm, improved breeding populations, and validated molecular markers that accelerate cultivar development, enhance bean productivity, and improve resilience to emerging diseases and pests, directly benefiting bean producers in Puerto Rico and the bean growing regions in the tropics. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">During 2024, project personnel conducted two online training sessions for bean producers and extension agents focused on improved bean cultivars, recommended production practices, and best practices for seed storage. These trainings increased awareness of newly developed germplasm and provided practical, research-based recommendations to improve crop performance and postharvest seed quality. During the winter growing season, collaborative winter nurseries conducted in Puerto Rico by land-grant university partners delivered targeted outstanding cultivars and breeding materials, were multiplied in Isabela Experiment Station north west of Puerto Rico. This climate-adapted bean germplasm, is key for new varieties release of different bean seed types in several countries strengthening local food security and on-farm resilience. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The UPR in collaboration with the ARS(PR) released ‘Alameda’, a photoperiod insensitive determinate, white-seeded lima bean cultivar. Derived from a cross between ‘Sieva’ and ‘Beseba’. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The UPR, ARS(PR) and IDIAF in the Dominican Republic plan to release of PR1654-7, a red mottled bean germplasm that combines resistance to Bean Golden Yellow Mosaic Virus (BGYMV), Bean Common Mosaic Necrosis Virus (BCMNV) and common bacterial blight (CBB). <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The white bean breeding line PR2302-49, which combines resistance to BGYMV, BCMNV, CBB and the Ur-5 and Ur-11 rust resistance genes, will continue to be evaluated locally in yield trials for potential release as improved germplasm or as a cultivar. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The twice-banded bean thrip [Megalurothrips usitatus (Bagnall)] has become a major pest of beans in Central America and the Caribbean. White and black bean breeding lines derived from crosses with EMP 319 have expressed promising levels of resistance to this thrip will be evaluated in 2026 in replicated yield trials. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Isolates from the roots of common bean affected with root rot revealed a diversity of Fusarium species. Pathogenicity tests in different cultivars confirmed the ability to infect common bean roots of the following: Isolate PR-21-9431 and PR-21-9419 (GenBank OQ675560 and OQ675561) with 99% homology with F. oxysporum. Isolate PR-21-9415 (GenBank OQ675562) had 100% homology with F. oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum. Isolates PR-21-9578 (OQ737042) was 99% with F. brachygibbosum and PR-21-9575 (OQ797098) 100% F. chlamydosporum. In a screenhouse trial the reaction of 26 common bean lines to Fusarium solani (isolate 19-00514). Local white bean cultivars ‘Bella’ and ‘Beníquez’ , released by the University of Puerto Rico, were significantly more resistant when compared with the susceptible cultivar “Moncalm”. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">USDA-ARS (WA) – Summary: <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">Advanced pink, pinto, and small red USDA-ARS-Prosser breeding lines were tested in multi-state cooperative trials in 2025. Two pinto lines 21-4-6 and 21-7-8 performed well in the Cooperative Dry Bean Nursery (CDBN) and are being considered for cultivar release in 2026. Of seven dry bean lines tested in the Dry Bean Drought Nursery (DBDN), the yield for two pintos 21-4-6 and 21-7-8 and the pink bean PK10-3-6 exceeded the tolerant checks. The small red line SR20-11-3 from USDA-Prosser was added to the DBDN in 2025 as a drought tolerant small red check. Four pinto bean breeding lines with some tolerance to white mold disease in previous field nurseries were included in the 2025 cooperative Bean White Mold Nursery (BWMN) with results pending. The USDA-Prosser pinto germplasm line USPT-WM-12 was added to the BWMN in 2024 as a resistant check. A set of diverse pinto bean cultivars used to study symbiotic nitrogen fixation under moderate N fertility in the field revealed that earlier released cultivars from the 1940s-1950s had significantly higher % nitrogen derived from the atmosphere (NDFA) than recently released cultivars. The Snap Diversity Panel (SDP) with 376 accessions was characterized for resistance to bean common mosaic and necrosis (BCMV, BCMNV) viruses using new and existing candidate gene markers. Twenty-six allelic combinations were found, 16 of which included the dominant I gene. Overall, 336 of 376 accessions carried I, of which 233 possessed I + RNase H-Like 1C + bc-1 resistance gene combination characteristic of host group (HG)-9 cultivars which confer restricted vein necrosis (VN) to NL-8 strain of BCMNV. Importantly, 30 accessions possessed I + RNase H-Like 1C + bc-1 + bc-ua,d,g, conferring VN to NL-3 strain of BCMNV, characteristic of HG-10 cultivars. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">North Dakota (Juan M. Osorno and Phil McClean): <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">A new black bean cultivar (ND Galaxy) was released in early 2024. ND Galaxy is a mid to full-season, high-yielding black bean with commercially acceptable seed size, shape, and appearance. ND Galaxy has desirable upright architecture (Type IIa), facilitating direct harvest. Under North Dakota conditions, ND Galaxy shows an average plant height of 52 cm, has a 100-seed weight of 18.1 g, and matures in &sim;97 d. Canning quality and color was rated as acceptable. ND Galaxy has shown an average seed yield increase of approximately 101 and 123 kg ha-1 over ‘Eclipse’ and ‘ND Twilight’, respectively, and 224 kg ha-1 more than Zorro. However, no significant difference was found when compared to <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">‘Blacktails.’ Other recently released varieties are also showing significant impacts: ND Rodeo slow darkening pinto and ND Redbarn dark red kidney, ND Pegasus great northern, ND Whitetail white kidney, ND Rosalind pink, and ND Polar navy, among others. Collaborative research has allowed the identification of new germplasm with resistance or tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. Genomic research is advancing with new models to practice negative genomic selection using a new GWAS-based 4k chip. Ongoing work on seed coat color genetics (V, T, and Z genes) through re-sequencing and pan-genome creation has allowed to understand better these genetic interactions. Field studies have confirmed that disease-resistant varieties offer the best combination of high yield and return on investment by reducing fungicide use, contributing to modest but positive yield gains observed over the last 35 years. A potentially new pathogen species causing symptoms similar to bean anthracnose were detected in some breeding nurseries showing very mild symptoms. Preliminary results are showing that this may be a new species of Colletotrichum infecting beans different from the already known C. lindemuthianum. Similar symptoms were found in soybeans as well. Similar results have been reported by collaborators in Michigan, so the work will continue in characterizing this potentially new pathogen in beans in the USA. Additional sequencing of more bean genotypes and re-sequencing of known reference genomes is currently underway and will allow genomic comparative studies to capture all structural variability and the creation of pan-genomes. A new GWAS-based chip with ~4k SNPs is currently being designed to be used in the program for genomic selection. An assessment of yield gains within the NDSU dry bean breeding program during the last ~35 years showed that modest but positive yield gains can be observed for all market classes the program focuses on. Additional work focuses on soybean cyst nematode, CBB, root rots, bruchid resistance, waterlogging tolerance, and iron nutrition. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">New York (Phillip Griffiths, Michael Mazourek): <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">In 2025, focus was placed on the development of new market classes of dry beans with reduced seed size of mini-kidney lines, improved seed-coat color and cooking/canning (black beans) Additionally efforts focused on the advancement of alternate seed-coat colors in the kidney bean category. This included the development of new black bean breeding lines with high seed-coat color retention after cooking/canning, from which line BB226 was increased for wider testing based on yield and canning quality in NYS. Based on increased consumer demand for more color and variability within products introgressions of novel colors have also been targeted. These include new black kidney and purple kidney lines. Based on initial canning studies the black kidney beans have had excellent color retention when compared to black bean controls, and good canning quality based on can-pour and splitting, with a longer soak time black kidney beans can result in a deep purple seedcoat color in a cooked can. The purple kidney bean cans to a similar color as a high quality dark red kidney bean but has a much richer colored brine making for a high-quality pour/product. A series on new mini-kidney bean lines have been developed for new markets in the alternate packaged good space. Due to the small seed size of this line, and the upright architecture, it could lead to a variety where pod shattering is a lower concern enabling harvest using similar equipment for upright black beans. It also reduces seed production costs, and has lower split through canning while having a higher relative nutrition based of increased seedcoat surface area. These lines were set up in a cross block with different seedcoat colors to develop a range of mini-kidney lines. This includes small black bean with the size and shape of a TicTacs creating a potential new black bean market class with a new shape. Breeding line trials were planted in Freeville NY in 2025 and were harvested to determine yield, seed-weight and quality. Populations developed for these trials were all increased in greenhouses in Geneva NY together with populations advancing the color retention into black bean and black kidney types. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Nebraska (Carlos Urrea): <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The Great Northern cultivars Whitte Pearl and SanCarBer (NE1-17-36) and the slow-darkening pinto cultivars Wildcat and NE4-17-10 achieved high yields in 2025. These cultivars have upright plant architecture, carry the Ur3 and Ur 6 rust resistance genes and the I bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) resistance gene, show tolerance to common bacterial blight (CBB), and have high yield potential and large seed size. Dr. Urrea compiled and distributed the 75th Cooperative Dry Bean Nursery (CDBN) annual report in February 2025. The 2024 Dry Bean Variety Trial results were posted online (https://cropwatch.unl.edu/varietytest/othercrops) and published in extension and industry publications. The Nebraska Dry Bean Breeding Program participated in several regional and national nurseries during 2025; the CDBN, which evaluated 20 entries in trials in 8 locations in the U.S. and Canada; the Mid-west Regional <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Performance Nursery (MRPN), which included 6 Nebraska lines, and the National Dry Bean Drought Nursery (DBDN) which had 24 lines from MI, WA, NE, and PR that were evaluated in the same states/territories. Dr. Urrea also assembled and distributed seeds for the DBDN. Great Northern and Pinto lines from Shuttle Breeding between Nebraska and Puerto Rico (66 lines) performed well under drought stress at both locations. A couple of lines will be considered for potential releases. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Michigan (Karen Cichy, Evan Wright, Valerio Hoyos-Villegas): <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">In 2025, dry bean genetics and breeding research was conducted by Michigan State University and the USDA-ARS in East Lansing, MI. The MSU dry bean breeding and genetics program conducted 24 yield trials at five locations in ten market classes (navy, black, pinto, great northern, pink, red, dark red kidney, light red kidney, white kidney, and cranberry) and participated in the growing and evaluation of the Cooperative Dry Bean, Midwest Regional Performance, National Drought, and the National Sclerotinia (White Mold) Nurseries in Michigan and winter nursery in Puerto Rico. Halo blight resistance was evaluated in kidney beans, development of improved black and navy beans possessing Co-5 for more durable anthracnose resistance. New tools for phenotyping for canning quality were developed using segmentation, and the deployment of UAS phenotyping platforms to estimate maturity, biological nitrogen fixation, as well as assessment of white mold disease severity via multispectral imaging. MSU is also leading the way with a Pan-GS initiative to develop robust, accurate and durable genomic prediction models across multiple dry bean breeding programs. USDA-ARS assessed milling, dehulling, nutritional, and flavor attributes of beans for use as an ingredient. Dehulling research included the evaluation of dry and wet dehulling methods on four market classes of dry beans to determine best method(s) for industrial adoption. Breeding was conducted in nine market classes with a focus on evaluating and improving end use quality characteristics including dry seed appeal, canning quality, cooking time and flour quality. Popping bean breeding was initiated and popping efficiency and food safety attributes (i.e. lectin activity) was assessed in germplasm. To complement the breeding program, a new set of molecular markers were developed and tested for potential use as an early generation cooking time screening tool. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Iowa (Donna Winham): <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">We made significant progress toward the goals and objectives of documenting bean and pulse consumption knowledge, attitudes, and practices through survey data collection for: consumption patterns and preferences (4 studies); taste preferences and biomarker changes for bean pastas (2 studies); and perceptions of plant-based meat alternatives (2 studies). The target audiences of bean stakeholders benefited from these activities through recognizing the common themes important across consumers in various age, gender, and socioeconomic strata. For example, self-reported flatulence from beans did not occur with the clinical feeding trials, and survey data suggest the issue is less of a concern among consumers than sometimes portrayed. National surveys highlight that consumers are already knowledgeable about many of the nutrients in beans, including their ability to fix nitrogen and potentially reduce fertilizer needs. These are a few points of leverage for promotion – particularly among consumers interested in nutrient-rich and environmental-friendly foods. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Florida (Hugh Smith): <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Research for management of Megalurothrips usitatus focused on evaluation of biopesticides, including essential-oil based botanical insecticides, neem oil and kaolin clay. Laboratory and cage studies were conducted to assess direct and residual mortality, and oviposition reduction. Mortality effects were compared to an untreated control and an industry standard (spinetoram). None of the biopesticides evaluated produced significant direct or residual mortality effects. Neem oil and kaolin clay significantly reduced oviposition, whereas a commercial formulation of canola oil, capsaicin and garlic extract increased oviposition compared to untreated plants. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Delaware (Emmalea Ernest): <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Heat stress and Southern Root-Knot Nematode (RKN, Meloidogyne incognita) are top production constraints for lima bean and snap bean production on the Delmarva Peninsula. In lima bean, a collection of 150 lines from around the world was screened for heat tolerance and sources of tolerance in different seed size classes were identified. Greenhouse screening of a population derived from RKN resistant and susceptible parents identified a region of the genome associated with RKN resistance. Seed of a UD bred heat tolerant and RKN resistant red speckled baby lima, Red Jasper, was produced by Common Wealth Seed <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Growers and will be available to gardeners and small scale farmers in 2026. Two snap bean variety trials identified new varieties with heat tolerance and confirmed the heat tolerance of varieties tested in past trials. Growers and vegetable processors from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region use the UD snap bean trial results to choose varieties for the heat-stressed summer planting window. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">California (Christine Diepenbrock): <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">We continued to evaluate a selected set of ~70 common bean/tepary bean interspecific lines and varietal checks, with seed provided by Carlos Urrea (NE). That work has involved measurement of groundtruth agronomic traits, drone- and rover-based sensing, and lab-based measurement of nutritional quality traits. We also continued to conduct dynamic simulated gastrointestinal digestion (i.e., emulating the wavelike contractions of the stomach wall alongside other physico-chemical properties) on common bean samples from multiple genotypes and environments. We have built custom near-infrared spectroscopy calibrations for use in common bean/tepary bean interspecifics and lima bean. We have continued to breed lima beans—both baby- and large-seeded types, and both bush and vine types. We have been conducting genotypic and phenotypic characterization (for agronomic, nutritional quality, and other traits of interest) for the entries within the USDA National Plant Germplasm System lima bean collection that had sufficient seed available for genotyping and/or field evaluation, alongside recombinant inbred line populations. On a subset of ~40 lima accessions, sensory evaluation was conducted, and iron bioavailability and cooking time were also evaluated. <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Arizona (Judith Brown): <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolis A. Gray) is native to the Sonoran Desert and is a sister species to common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). The species is adapted to drought, heat, and cold stress and is tolerant/resistant to certain bacterial, fungal, and viral plant pathogens, making it of great interest for genetic improvement of common bean. Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV), family Potyviridae, genus Potyvirus, which is both seed-transmitted and aphid-transmitted, is among the most widely prevalent and damaging virus pathogens of common bean. Here, the frequency of seed-transmitted BCMV infection, and the genome diversity of seed-transmitted BCMV isolates recovered from tepary bean land races and germplasm accessions (n=18) were studied. Virus detection by reverse transcriptase PCR amplification of a fragment of the coat protein (CP) gene indicated virus incidence ranged from 0-100% among the accessions, with 40% of the plants exhibiting characteristic BCMV symptoms, and 63.5% testing positive for BCMV-infection. Total RNA was isolated from leaves of BCMV-positive bean plants (n=10) and subjected to Illumina RNAseq. Full-length BCMV genomes (n=12) assembled from Illumina reads, and PCR amplification shared 86.5-100% nucleotide identity among each other, and 80.5-93.1% with non-tepary bean BCMV reference genomes available in GenBank. Among the isolates, seventy-four predicted BCMV recombinants were identified, including two from tepary bean. Phylogenetic analysis of the seed-transmitted tepary bean BCMV isolates and GenBank archived isolates formed six clades, with tepary bean isolates clustering as a sub-clade within a clade containing its closest relatives, isolated from common bean, cowpea, peanut, pumpkin, soybean, and yard long bean. This is the first characterization of seed-transmitted BCMV isolates infecting tepary bean. The minimal genomic diversity among these seed-transmitted isolates points to the apparent co-adaption between tepary bean and BCMV due to exclusive transmission through seed to successive generations over time. Based on droplet digital PCR quantification, the frequency of seed (vertical)-transmission in tepary bean ranges from 50-85% (n=10 accessions) with virus load spanning 13-1,000,000 genome copies mostly independent of symptom severity. These interactions are reminiscent of other observed ‘beyond pathogenesis’ scenarios in which under environmental stress, virus-host interactions undergo a shift to mutualism with beneficial outcomes to both partners. Potentially, BCMV-tepary co-evolution in harsh Sonoran Desert environments has led to a co-evolutionary relationship in which the virus acts as a modulator of host physiology, potentially enhancing heat, drought, and virus disease tolerance.

Publications

Impact Statements

Washington: Unlocking the secrets of novel "popping beans," will help farmers turn a unique crop into a high-value ingredient for nutritious snacks and gluten-free baking.
South Carolina: Heat stress during the reproductive stages of bean development can have a negative impact on production reducing yield and quality of pods and beans. Breeding heat tolerant snap bean and lima bean cultivars could extend the growing season, expand production areas, and increase resilience to fluctuating temperatures but is limited by a lack of genetic knowledge and large-scale germplasm screenings. As part of this Hatch project, we screened diverse panels of snap bean and lima bean accessions under heat stress conditions in summer field trials and are using the most heat tolerant germplasm to initiate plant breeding programs to develop new bean cultivars resilient to temperature fluctuations for production in the Southeastern US.
Puerto Rico: As a contribution to Regional Hatch Project W-4150, the UPR project plants a winter nursery for collaborating U.S. bean breeding programs. The winter nurseries planted each year at Isabela Substation include 3,000-4,000 lines from North Dakota State University, Michigan State University, the University of Nebraska and USDA-ARS bean breeding program. This accelerates the development of improved bean breeding lines of collaborating institutions. Bean cultivars developed by the UPR remain the principal source of seed for bean producers in Puerto Rico. Demand for the seed of these cultivars usually exceeds the supply produced by the local seed program. The UPR bean research program published online a bean production manual that is frequently downloaded by farmers and UPR students.
Nebraska: About 1,200 dry bean producers in western Nebraska and eastern Colorado have access to dry bean varieties with multiple disease resistance and drought/heat tolerance, enabling them to reduce production costs and increase net income. New University of Nebraska dry bean cultivars (White Pearl, Wildcat, and SanCarBer) are being adopted by Nebraska growers. Information is disseminated to the dry bean community through grower meetings, field days, and workshops. Three undergraduate students participated in the project, learning about all phases of dry bean breeding.
Michigan: ‘Charro’ pinto bean was released by Michigan State University as a high yielding, full season variety with excellent canning quality. This variety will help expand pinto production in Michigan and does well in organic production systems. An electronic nose method was developed as a new rapid evaluation tool to assess flavor characteristics of bean flours and was tested and validated against human sensory and gas chromatography olfactory methods.
Iowa: The broader public will benefit from expanded documentation of the positive benefits of not only whole beans, but other foods formulated with beans as ingredients such as pasta. Information obtained from consumers can be applied by stakeholders to give the public what they want in bean attributes and bolster the availability of these crops.
Florida: Megalurothrips usitatus continues to be confined to the lower portion of Florida, impacting snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) production in the Homestead Agricultural Area. Florida’s snap bean industry is valued at over $123 million annually and comprises over 14,570 ha (USDA-NASS 2024). The HAA is the primary producer of snap bean for the United States during winter months.
Delaware: Available chemical and cultural controls for Southern Root-Knot Nematode (RKN) are failing to protect crops from yield loss. RKN resistant varieties of lima bean have been developed at University of Delaware and have undergone seed increase for commercialization. DE16040410B is a green seeded, heat and RKN resistant variety for the processing market. Red Jasper, a red speckled heat and RKN resistant variety for the specialty lima market will be available to growers in 2026. Both varieties resist RKN associated galling and nematode reproduction. These varieties protect not only the current crop but reduce nematode populations that will affect future crops.
California: Our collaborative multi-state team has identified several descriptors of flavor/aroma, texture, and visual appearance that humans perceive in lima beans, and which of those descriptors are most correspondent with ‘overall liking’ of lima bean samples by consumers. We have evaluated hundreds of entries from the USDA National Plant Germplasm System lima bean collection in multiple field environments, which could help identify candidate parents for use in plant breeding and/or the genetic and environmental basis of traits of interest for growers, processors, and consumers.
Arizona: Identifying genes in tepary bean that are responsive to BCMV infection with involvement in tolerance and susceptibility to virus-associated biotic stress and the potential overlap with genes previously associated with abiotic (heat, drought, cold) stress are the first steps to establishing key gene networks for introgression into common bean to improve tolerance to arid climates throughout the world where common bean is an important staple protein.
Findings from this research on drought tolerant genotypes as well as potential new varieties adapted to Wyoming are distributed through multiple avenues including University of Wyoming field days, Bean Commission meetings, and Crop Improvement sessions. The expected impact will be clarity of which varieties thrive under drought and reduce irrigation costs as well as what new varieties may be in the pipeline. Additionally, the cooperative dry bean nursery grown in Powell, WY is used to help breeders know which lines to release as varieties and it also helps our local seed companies as they make decisions on which varieties to distribute. Lastly, selection via a drone from the research we are conducting looking at canopy temperature and NDVI and their correlation to yield, could take place in the first one to two years of yield testing to weed out the lowest yielding lines before moving to more advanced yield testing where a combine would be used, saving the breeding program, time, money, and labor.
New USDA-Prosser pinto bean cultivars will contribute increased income to growers through improved yields and seed quality traits.
Breeding dry bean cultivars with increased nitrogen fixation will lower N fertilizer requirements significantly reducing input costs for growers.
Resistance gene-linked markers developed by USDA-Prosser facilitate the deployment of durable resistance to combat entrenched and problematic diseases plaguing U.S. dry bean producers.