Genetic analysis of Anthracnose resistance in Ouro Negro, Esplendor and Majestoso common bean cultivars

Abstract

Anthracnose, caused by the hemibiotrophic fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum (Sacc. & Magnus) Briosi & Cavara, is one of the most devastating diseases of common bean. Genetic resistance is the most effective and economical method of defence against this pathogen (Singh and Schwartz, 2010). Thus, characterization of resistant cultivars to prevalent C. lindemuthianum strains in growing region is important for choosing appropriate strategies in breeding programs to anthracnose resistance. Ouro Negro, Majestoso and Esplendor are common bean cultivars widely used by farmers in Brazil, having high resistance to different races of C. lindemuthianum predominant in the country. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the genetic resistance of these cultivars to three different strains of C. lindemuthiam, race 65.