
New Bean Lines Resist Golden Mosaic Virus By Sean Adams February 7, 1997Good news for green bean growers: Golden mosaic virus is about to meet its
match. Believed to be spread by a whitefly, golden mosaic virus first reared its
head in bean crops in Dade County, Fla., in 1993, and now has spread to Puerto
Rico. Three newly released snap bean lines resist the golden mosaic virus--the
first commercial snap or dry beans developed in this country that can fend off
the costly crop disease. The new high-yielding lines also resist 87 known races
of the bean rust fungus, Uromyces appendiculatus. The new lines were released by scientists with
USDAs
Agricultural Research Service in
conjunction with researchers in Florida and Puerto Rico. Called Beldade-RGMR -4, -5, and -6, the new lines have white seeds and flat
pods that are about eight inches long. Limited amounts of seed are available to
breeders. Scientific contact: J. Rennie Stavely,
Molecular Plant Pathology
Lab, Beltsville, MD, telephone (301) 504-6600 Story contacts Sean T Adams U.S. Department of Agriculture | |