Location: Soybean Genomics and Improvement
Project Number: 1245-22000-286-02
Start Date: Oct 01, 2012
End Date: Jul 31, 2015
Common bean nurseries with several hundred cultivars will be planted under field conditions of Zambia and Mozambique to determine the reaction of bean cultivars to the soilborne pathogens that cause root rot disease in Africa. Samples of roots with symptoms of root rot diseases will be collected and sent to Nebraska to determine the identity of the fungal pathogens causing root rots under laboratory conditions. Traditional laboratory techniques and molecular approaches (pyrosequencing) will be used to determine the identity of the fungal species causing root rots. Root rot resistant cultivars in Zambia and Mozambique will be evaluated under greenhouse conditions in Nebraska to confirm their resistant reaction. Crosses will be made to transfer root rot resistance to common bean cultivars with good adaptation and high yield but susceptible to root rots in Africa. All scientists involved in the project will select common bean cultivars for evaluation in Africa and for developing protocols for planting of the nurseries and for their evaluation under field conditions. Evaluations in-situ will be conducted by local collaborators and project scientists. Identification of pathogens will be conducted in Nebraska. Training of local personnel will be conducted by all scientists in the project.