Disease Free Bean

 The Idaho Bean Commission’s promotion of seed exports to Mexico received a welcome boost recently with the receipt of a $122,000 grant. Funds from the grant will be used to breed a virus-resistant, yellow bean suitable for US and Mexico markets.

The USDA is actively encouraging all land grant universities with similar research programs to cooperate in order make the most of limited resources, and as a result, the Commission asked the University of Idaho and Oregon State University to collaborate on this research project. Dr. Alex Karasev from the University of Idaho will coordinate the research with Dr. Jim Myers from Oregon State University. Over the next two years they hope to work with current experimental yellows to produce a variety that offers resistance to Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV), and Bean common mosaic necrosis virus (BCMNV).

Dr. Karasev is an expert on plant viruses and describes the usefulness of his research: “I think it’s very useful to Idaho producers. Beans are very sensitive to different types of diseases. A lot of these diseaes are caused by viruses.”Although popular in Mexico for the last four centuries, the yellow bean represents an emerging market class in the U.S. It’s quick to soak, cooks rapidly, and has excellent texture and flavor.