Registration of ‘Eiger’ great northern bean

Abstract

Abstract‘Eiger’ great northern bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) (Reg. no. CV‐339, PI 695269), developed by Michigan State University AgBioResearch, was released in 2020 as a high‐yielding, upright, full‐season cultivar with anthracnose resistance and acceptable canning quality. Eiger was developed using the pedigree breeding method to the F4 generation followed by pure line selection for disease, agronomic, and quality traits. In 4 yr of field trials, Eiger yielded 3,166 kg ha−1 across 15 locations in mid‐Michigan, flowered in 44 d, and matured in 98 d on average. Plants averaged 54 cm in height, with a lodging resistance score of 1.3 and seed weight of 38.7 g per 100 seed. Eiger combines high yield potential and erect architecture with full‐season maturity in a great northern seed type. Eiger has resistance to lodging and high pod placement within the plant structure, making it suitable for direct harvest under narrow‐row production systems. The upright architecture also contributes to avoidance of white mold, a disease that is intensified in narrow rows. Eiger is resistant to races 73 and 109 of anthracnose present in Michigan and produces a top necrosis reaction to strain NL 3 of Bean common mosaic necrosis virus. Eiger produces seed that meets industry standards for export and packaging, and canning quality was rated acceptable for the great northern bean seed class.