February 13, 2026
Garden – green – beans are a vegetable of versatility. Whether fresh, canned, or frozen, they pack a nutritious punch for consumers, and a great opportunity for growers. When it comes to end use, it is important to differentiate what the bean will be used for to find the best fit.
No matter the end use, researchers look for high yield potential, great quality, and disease resistance. For processing beans, however, movement through the plant, shelf life, harvestability, storability, and other factors come into play.
“Some of the key traits for processing beans are that we’re developing a nice, upright plant with great root structure that’s healthy,” said Glenn McKay, Product Specialist U.S. Processing. “And then when we get above the ground, you want plants with long straight pods, an open plant that allows the air to flow through and a quality product that consumers will really enjoy.”
Building Beans that Serve Grower Needs
When it comes to processing bean plants, an upright plant with a great root structure is ideal. The bean pods should be straight and allow airflow between pods and to the leaves. The beans must be hardy and able to withstand transit, storage and processing.
When consumers serve beans prepared from frozen, the beans must be able to maintain quality in the fridge for another meal. Other factors Syngenta including in breeding programs are early maturity and long harvest windows. Harvestability, with and without the use of machines, is also prioritized.
“When developing new varieties, the key trait is yield potential,” McKay said. “The biggest opportunity for processing beans is yield, yield, yield. Yield potential for the grower but also the potential yield that any processor can get as a recovery to maximize their profitability.”
Disease resistance is also essential for processing bean plants. Syngenta offers several processing bean varieties with high resistance to bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) and anthracnose (CI:1) and halo blight (Psp: 1 2). Some of these varieties include Bastion, Emotion and Escadron.
“The processing segment is an important segment for Syngenta and we continue to invest in that,” McKay said. “Whether the end product is canned vegetables or frozen, this continues to be a staple for American consumers and we look forward to continuing to partner with our customers.”
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