Resistance of common bean genotype to foliar fungal and bacterial diseases.

Abstract

Foliar diseases have been reported to cause 45 to 100% of grain losses in common bean. However, conventional management strategies are not effective and sustainable to combat the bean yield losses. The use of host plant resistance is a more effective strategy to reduce losses. The objective of this study was to contribute to improved common bean productivity through a) Screening bean germplasm to identify sources of resistance to multiple diseases and b) determination of the genetics of resistance to the common bacterial blight resistance in common bean. To identify sources of resistance to multiple diseases, twenty four common bean lines were evaluated in the field at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO)-Kakamega and Lugari during the short rains 2016 and long rains 2017. The trial was laid out in a randomized completed block design replicated three times in a 12 x 2 arrangement within the block. Data was collected on agronomic traits, disease incidence and severity and yield and yield related traits of common bean. The data was subjected to analysis of variance to determine the differences among the traits.