Plant breeders are constantly working to develop new bean varieties to meet the needs and desires of the food industry.
Plant breeders are constantly working to develop new bean varieties to meet the needs and desires of the food industry. But not everyone wants the same thing.
Many consumers desire heirloom-type beans, which have great culinary quality and are visually appealing. On the other hand, farmers desire beans with better disease resistance and higher yield potential.
The bean varieties that farmers want to grow are sometimes different than the varieties consumers want to purchase. Until now.
Travis Parker, a plant scientist at University of California, Davis, has worked with a team of researchers to release five new varieties of dry beans that combine the most desirable traits.
Read more at American Society of Agronomy
Image: A comparison of the heirloom variety "Tiger's Eye" (left, with virus symptoms) and the newly released "UC Tiger's Eye" (right, healthy leaves). These varieties have similar culinary qualities, but UC Tiger's Eye is resistant to the common mosaic virus and has higher yields. (Credit: Travis Parker)
