For bean production in the Willamette Valley, perhaps one of the most obvious objectives is resistance to white mold (Sclerotinia) since this pathogen is difficult to control using chemicals and no native resistance has been found in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). It has been shown that the production of oxalic acid by the fungus Sclerotinia is the primary cause of pathogenicity. If the oxalic acid can be degraded rapidly by the plant, the symptoms of infection can be inhibited.
Objectives:
- To devise regeneration systems in beans adaptable to transformation using Agrobacterium infection.
- To design and optimize conditions to deliver DNAs using particle bombardment.
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