Marker-Assisted Breeding for Economic Traits in Common Bean

Abstract

The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most widely grown grain legume species that is consumed directly by humans. The crop is grown from the northern regions of Canada to the temperate regions in the Southern Hemisphere including highland tropical regions of Latin America and East Africa where a wide diversity of seed types and growth habits are produced. Local adaptation is critical, and consumers are very selective in the seed types they grow and consume. Despite its broad adaptation, common bean productivity is low compared to cereal crops and is constrained by a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses. In addition, grower and consumer preferences for specific growth habits, maturity classes, seed types, and quality traits limit improvement to specific regions and seed types. Breeders are challenged with having to maintain separate breeding programs where outcomes are limited to specific seed types. As a community, many of the biotic stresses are similar, and the genetic tools to control them can be shared. The broad area of marker technologies linked to economic traits is one area where the bean community has shared benefits. This chapter summarizes some of the broad advances in marker technologies as they have been applied to improve economic traits controlling both productivity and quality characteristics of common bean.