Registration of Tepary Germplasm with Multiple-Stress Tolerance, TARS-Tep 22 and TARS-Tep 32

High ambient temperature and drought stress as a result of climate change are increasingly critical factors affecting agriculture, specifically grain legume production. Tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray), a drought-and heat-tolerant species closely related to common bean (P. vulgaris L.), has long been employed by Native Americans for production in regions prone to abiotic stress. In addition to abiotic stress, common bacterial blight [caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli (Smith) Dye] and seed weevils [Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say)] are widespread yield and storage constraints worldwide, respectively. TARS-Tep 22 (Reg. No. GP-288, PI 666350) and TARS-Tep 32 (Reg. No. GP-289, PI 666351) were developed by the USDA-ARS, the University of Puerto Rico Agricultural Experiment Station, and Colorado State University. The tepary bean germplasms were selected for multiple stress tolerances, including high-temperature and drought stresses and resistance to bacterial blight and seed weevils, and for larger seed size and more erect architecture. TARS-Tep 22 represents the first published release of improved tepary as a result of hybridization and selection, and TARS-Tep 32 is a single plant selection from a landrace (PI 477033) from Arizona. The use of this improved germplasm by farmers in production zones affected by abiotic and/or biotic stress or by breeding programs can potentially increase yields of this newly rediscovered crop.