Tepary Bean Could Hold the Key in Bean Crops Adaptation

A team of researchers from the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and Michigan State University found the gene in tepary beans responsible for its adaptation to fluctuating temperatures which could be the key to creating a more sustainable bean crop variety.

The team sequenced the tepary bean genome and found out 15 genes encoding heat shock-related proteins (HSPs) which are upregulated during an increase in temperature to protect the plant. The researchers also found out that tepary beans have fewer disease resistance genes compared to common beans because tepary beans are grown in arid climates where diseases are less common than in wetter regions.

The study aims to create a new variety of stress and heat-tolerant beans by combining the traits between the two species and contribute solutions to food insecurity.

For more details, read the news article in USask and the journal article in Nature Communications.