Dr. Robert Nurse and Dr. Jamie Larsen are working to identify effective and integrated pest management strategies for organic dry bean production. Strategies under evaluation include weed management using roller crimped rye and electricity; optimizing early season crop vigour and competitiveness; and developing pest resistant cultivars.
Research Objectives
- Determine optimal agronomic guidelines for dry bean desiccation using a Weed Zapper©
- Evaluate weed management using roller crimped rye and electricity (Weed Zapper©)
- Create a potato leafhopper resistance evaluation nursery and genetic evaluation
- Conduct genetic evaluation of dry bean cultivars for resistance to multiple races (R73, R105/109, R23) of Anthracnose
- Conduct genetic evaluation of dry bean cultivars for resistance to white mold
- Incorporate pest resistance traits into mid/short season dry bean cultivars for Canadian producers
- Yield test dry bean cultivars under best management practices identified in this research project
Progress and Results
Research Update (March 2026)
KEY TAKEAWAYS (PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS)
- Roller-crimping showed promise, particularly when combined with electricity, but provided less effective mid-late season weed control and may be less economically viable than tillage.
- Desiccation using electricity could be as efficacious as using a chemical herbicide, but it is less effective in large seeded bushier classes such as kidney beans compared to navy and black beans.
- Anthracnose race 73 testing identified 60 resistant dry bean lines, including 24 lines from the Canadian and USDA genebanks; these lines may contain novel sources of resistance.
- Cultivars with reduced yield loss from leafhopper feeding were selected and crossed with cultivars with low incidence of white mold.
Research Update (March 2025)
KEY TAKEAWAYS (PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS)
- Several weed management practices showed promise as part of an integrated weed management strategy: roller crimping fall rye, strip tillage, increasing bean density and applying electricity with a Weed Zapper©.
- Leafhopper feeding decreased yield in 10 out of 12 market classes; however, there was variation for resistance within market classes which allows selection of resistant cultivars as parents for development of leafhopper resistant dry bean germplasm.
- Very few cultivars had better white mold resistance than the “Moderately Resistant” control indicating a need for improvement.
Additional Links and Resources
Article (Dec 2024) in Better Farming Magazine: Advancements in Organic Dry Bean Agronomy
Background Information
From the research activity proposal:
Dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are a high value crop produced in Canada that are predominantly exported. A significant amount of production is shipped to the United Kingdom and the European Union. The recently announced EU Green Deal will require 25% of agricultural production to meet organic standards by 2030, which could impact dry bean producers in Canada. Currently, only a small proportion of Canadian dry bean growers are organic, therefore, to continue to meet or exceed our current export demands the Canadian organic dry bean sector will need to expand dramatically.
A recent survey completed by the Ontario Bean Growers provided helpful guidance to major priorities for continued research and overlaps strongly with organic production concerns. This includes further research on problematic weeds such as lambsquarters, ragweed, foxtails, and thistles. The survey also indicated major concerns around plant pests like potato leafhopper, Anthracnose and white mold, requiring producers to use seed treatments and two or more fungicide applications each season. Finally, there are no clear guidelines available to organic growers describing optimized planting densities or row widths specific to organic systems. All current recommendations are based on conventional cropping systems.
This research will be conducted on organically certified and AAFC research station land at Harrow, ON and will specifically be focused on Increasing yield and competitiveness of dry bean through early season optimization of crop vigour and competitiveness by manipulating agronomic factors that directly influence cultural and physical weed management. Genetic improvement and cultivar development for the purpose of variety release will target important pest resistance traits relevant to organic dry bean production like potato leafhopper, Anthracnose and white mold to build stability and resilience of the system.
Outcomes of this research will ensure that growers have effective and integrated sustainable pest management solutions for multiple dry bean market classes. Additionally, at the completion of the research we will produce fact sheets and/or a production guide that will provide detailed information to established, new or transitioning organic growers.
Contributing Partners
Meet the Research Team
Dr. Robert Nurse
Dr. Robert Nurse is a research scientist with Agriculture and Agrifood Canada (AAFC). His research focus is the development of sustainable, ecological, and environmentally safe weed management strategies using integrated weed management principles in field and horticulture crops.
Dr. Jamie Larsen
Dr. Jamie Larsen is also an AAFC researcher. Dr. Larsen specializes in dry bean breeding. Some of his work includes dry bean disease screening and development of germplasm with disease resistance, and mitigating threats in Ontario dry beans.
Activity 4 Research Team
Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
Owen Wally | AAFC |
Lauren Des Marteaux | AAFC |
Meghan Moran | OMAFRA |
Mike Cowbrough | OMAFRA |
We asked Dr. Nurse and Dr. Larsen
What got you interested in this research project?
(Dr. Nurse) My interest in this research project began after discussion of the feasibility of electricity use in dry beans as a pre-harvest desiccant. After presenting and discussing results of that project with the organic dry bean community it became clear that there was the need to further investigate the use of tools such as electricity and roller crimping in organic dry bean production.
(Dr. Larsen) Dry beans are a high value crop for producers, however they are susceptible to a number of plant and insect pests. We know that resistance to these pests is present in dry bean germplasm, so incorporating that resistance into cultivars and varieties that are useful for Canadian organic producers is important. This will ensure a stable supply of high-quality dry beans for organic markets throughout the world.
Where is your research taking place?
The research is being conducted in Harrow, ON in collaboration with a local organic farmer.
What drew you to organic agriculture research?
(Dr. Nurse) My interest in organic agriculture is rooted in the integrated full system approaches that are used. All pest, not just weeds are better managed with a diversified multi-faceted management approaches rather than singular mode strategies.
(Dr. Larsen) I was drawn to organic agriculture research because of the challenges it poses. Variety development for dry beans is challenging due to them being quite susceptible to a number of diseases and pests, but also that each market class (navy, black, kidney, etc.) is almost like its own genetic pool that will need to be improved for each one of these diseases and pests. There is a lot of work to do.
How are you encouraging or training the next generation of scientists?
(Dr. Nurse) I am very involved at the University of Guelph where I co-mentor graduate student education and serve on graduate student committees. My research program also employs several summer students each year who gain hands-on experience in all areas of weed management.
(Dr. Larsen) My program is similar to Rob’s. We actively train graduate students working on critical projects to improve dry bean and hire a number of excellent University and high school students each year.
Outside of your research pursuits, what is an activity you enjoy doing in your free time?
(Dr. Nurse) I like to spend my free time with family as much as I can. My spouse and I are avid travellers and enjoy visiting areas where we can spend time in nature and experience peaceful non-urban environments. However, we do also have a soft spot for cruise vacations as well.
(Dr. Larsen) My wife Angela and I have three kids and we are overly active with their activities (sports, music/theatre and scouts). This past winter I coached three hockey teams and will be coaching baseball this summer. I like being active, so I play hockey in the winter and I enjoy golfing in the summer. As a family, we enjoy travelling together and we eat a lot of beans!
