NDSU Research Foundation

‘ND Polar’ is a new navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivar developed by the Dry Edible Bean Breeding Program at North Dakota State University and released by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. ND Polar was developed using a modified pedigree method (F1-F5), followed by pure line selection based on agronomic performance, disease resistance, and seed quality characteristics. Between 2015 and 2021, ND Polar was tested across 23 environments in North Dakota, where seed yield was significantly higher than ‘HMS Medalist’, ‘Blizzard’, and ‘Ensign’, and similar to ‘T9905’. ND Polar is resistant to Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV), and has intermediate resistance to common bacterial blight (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli).

 
ND Polar has desirable upright architecture to facilitate direct harvest. Under North Dakota environments, ND Polar shows an average plant height of 52 cm, has a 100-seed weight of 18.3 g, and matures in 102 d. Canning quality was rated as acceptable. Similar to the commercial checks, ND Polar is susceptible to local races/strains of the bean rust pathogen, anthracnose, and white mold. Other traits of agronomic and economic importance are within acceptable ranges. ND Polar provides dry bean growers in the northern Great Plains a new option across the region given its unique combination of upright architecture, BCMV resistance, common bacterial blight intermediate resistance, and superior seed yield and quality attributes.

To help ensure genetic purity, 'ND Polar' is protected under PVPA Title V (certificate No. pending) and must be sold as a class of certified seed.