Tolerance Variation to Mexican Bean Beetles of Common Bean Cultivars

View the project final report

Commodities

• Vegetables: beans

Practices

• Crop Production: biological inoculants, organic fertilizers
• Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns
• Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity
• Pest Management: genetic resistance
• Production Systems: holistic management

Mexican bean beetles are a serious bean pest, but the farmer has noticed that resistance to the beetles varies by cultivar. He will compare ‘Provider,’ ‘Tender Lake,’ ‘Royal Burgundy,’ ‘Dragon Tongue,’ ‘Soldier Bean,’ and ‘Jacob’s Cattle Bean’ to see if beetle preference can be made part of a biocontrol effort. Outreach will be through extension, the University of Connecticut, and through a statewide conference.