Backcross breeding for improved resistance to common bacterial blight in pinto bean (Phaseolus vulgaris

Common bacterial blight (CBB) caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli reduces common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) yield and quality worldwide. Genetic resistance provides effective disease control; however, a high level of resistance is difficult to attain and does not exist in pinto bean, the most important dry bean market class in North America. Our objective was to determine if a backcross breeding approach with the aid of molecular markers linked to quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance to CBB in a donor parent could be used to attain higher levels of resistance to CBB in pinto bean. QTL conditioning CBB resistance from the donor parent XAN 159 were introgressed into the recurrent parent Chase using classical backcross breeding and intermittent marker-assisted selection. Chase pinto bean is moderately resistant and the breeding line XAN 159 is highly resistant to Xanthomonas campestris. Marker assays confirmed the presence of independent QTL from GN no. 1 Sel 27 and XAN 159 in advanced backcross-derived pinto bean lines with improved CBB resistance. Agronomic characteristics of Chase were fully recovered in the backcross-derived lines. An important QTL for CBB resistance from XAN 159 on linkage group B6 was not introgressed because tight linkage between this QTL and the dominant V allele that causes an unacceptable black-mottled seed coat colour pattern in pinto bean could not be broken.