Evaluation of Pinto Genotypes of Common Bean for Resistance to Anthracnose

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important crop grown for household revenue, food, and nutrition security in many parts of the world, especially in Africa and Latin America. Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum lindemuthianum is a major disease of common bean globally. The objective of this study was to determine the response of selected pinto bean genotypes to seven races of C. lindemuthianum the causative fungus for anthracnose. A total of 56 pinto bean genotypes and three checks were evaluated for resistance to C. lindemuthianum races 51, 65, 73, 247, 253, 263, and 1085. Significant differences were observed among the 56 pinto genotypes in their reaction to the seven races, which was generally skewed towards susceptibility except for races 51 and 73. There was no genotype that was resistant to all seven races. In general, the genotypes that showed resistance to most of the races were those that carried Co-4², which highlighted the importance of this locus to anthracnose resistance in pinto beans. Three genotypes—NDZ14006-4, NDZ14110-4, and NDZ14043—showed superior resistance (resistant to six of the seven races).