Background

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French bean (or green bean) is one of the most valuable export commodities produced in Kenya; the crop is sold both as fresh produce or in canned form. Its cultivation represents a major source of income for small-holder farmers. Several pathogens compromise the crop’s productivity: the viruses bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) and bean common mosaic necrosis virus (BCMNV); and the fungi Pseudocercospora griseola (responsible for angular leaf spot; ALS), Uromyces appendiculatus (rust) and Colletotrichum lindemuthianum (anthracnose; ANT). Chemical control of these diseases is not economically viable for small-scale farmers, while it also presents a hazard to both human health and the environment.

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