LIMA BEAN (PHA5 US LUNATUS) PRODUCTION AND DISEASE RESISTANCE TRIALS IN JAMAICA

Lima bean, an important grain legume in the Caribbean and Central America region has never been produced to meet demand. The main causes for this are low producing types and diseases. An attempt was made to test F hybrids for hybrid vigour. The plants were destroyed by the bean golden mosaic virus disease. A next trial was established to evaluate some selections from Jamaica showing a high degree of resistance to the disease, along with others from Africa, Brazil, Central America and the U.S.A. All succumbed to the disease. The paper also describes the bean vegetative propagation method and list the selections tested