Utilization of Tepary Bean for Improvement of Heat Tolerance in Common Bean

Abstract

High temperatures (>30°C day and/or >20°C night) in tropical lowlands and production areas in temperate zones reduce yield and quality in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Tepary bean (P. acutifolius A. Gray) is a crop adapted to hot arid climates and is grown in the American Southwest and parts of Mexico under temperatures that are too high for pod formation in common bean. Interspecific hybridization may enable transfer of heat tolerance traits from tepary bean to common bean. Twenty-five tepary bean plant introductions (PI) with the ability to set seed under controlled-environment conditions were evaluated under high (35 °C day/32 °C night) and control (27 °C day/24 °C night) temperature treatments during reproductive development. Four accessions (PI 200902, PI 312637, PI 440788, and PI 440789) exhibited normal pod formation and comparatively high yield when exposed to high temperature, while common bean controls displayed zero pod and seed set. These four PIs showed a mean decrease in seed yield of 72.9% from control to high temperature treatment, as compared to 90.3% among all tepary beans. These accessions were hybridized with the dry bean cultivar `ICA Pijao', and the heat-tolerant bean cultivars `Carson' and `CELRK' and breeding line `Cornell 503'. Immature embryos were cultured to obtain interspecific hybrids. Fertility of F1 hybrids and generation of backcrosses are discussed.