Parthiba Balasubramanian, Ph.D.

Research Scientist (Dry Bean Breeding)

Develop dry bean cultivars that combine high yield with early maturity, lodging resistance, enhanced disease resistance (white mould and bacterial diseases) and seed quality (size, shape, colour and colour retention) traits for commercial production under irrigated conditions in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Lethbridge, AB

Current research and/or projects

Principal Investigator

1. Selection for disease resistance in early maturing dry bean lines for Alberta.

2. Identification of dry bean lines in Ontario and the Prairies with improved canning and cooking quality traits.

3. Development of high yielding dry bean cultivars with disease resistance and seed quality.

4. Dry bean cultivars for southern AB and SK: Development of pinto bean and yellow bean cultivars with high yield and seed quality.

Research and/or project statements

1. Dry bean is the fourth largest pulse crop grown in Canada after pea, lentil and chickpea. Canada is the third largest exporter of dry bean in the World with more than 75% of the production being exported to other countries. Dry bean is a high value crop as it is primarily consumed as food. In Ontario and Manitoba, dry bean is grown under dryland (120 frost-free days), and in Alberta and Saskatchewan, dry bean is grown under both irrigation and dryland with 100 to 105 frost-free days.

2. Research mandate and projects address all four of the AAFC’s Strategic Objectives of Cereals and Pulses sector, i) high yielding cultivars with early maturity and disease resistance contribute to increased agricultural productivity; ii) disease resistant cultivars contribute to enhanced environmental performance through reduced use of chemicals; iii) cultivars with preferred visual seed quality, and improved cooking and canning quality contribute to improved attributes for food uses; and iv) development of disease resistant cultivars and management of diseases contribute to addressing threats to agriculture and agri-food value chain.

Education and awards

Education

B.Sc. (Agiculture), Annamalai University, India (1995)

M.Sc., Plant Breeding, University of Saskatchewan (1998)

Ph.D. Plant Breeding, University of Saskatchewan (2002)

Awards

2016 Gold Harvest Award for Innovation, Collaboration and Service Excellence (AAFC)

2010 Most Outstanding Reviewer (Canadian Journal of Plant Science)

2018 Most Outstanding Reviewer (Canadian Journal of Plant Science)

Key publications

K.D. Singh, P. Balasubramanian, M. Natarajan, H. Wang and P. Ravichandran, “UAV-based Multispectral Imaging for High-throughput Phenotyping of Dry Bean Breeding Trials”, NAPPN Annual Conference 2024, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA, February, 2024 (Hybrid); https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.170110651.16979152/v1
2024 - View publication details
Xiong, M., Zhao, M., Lu, Z.X., Balasubramanian, P. (2020). Genotypic variation for phenolic compounds in developing and whole seeds, and storage conditions influence visual seed quality of yellow dry bean genotypes. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 100(3), 284-295. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2019-0153
2020 - View publication details
Balasubramanian, P.M., Chatterton, S. and Conner, R.L. 2019. AAC Y073 yellow dry bean. Can. J. Plant Sci. (Accepted 14 November 2019).
2019 - View publication details
Balasubramanian, P., Chatterton, S., Conner, R.L. (2019). AAC cranford cranberry dry bean. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 99(4), 572-576. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2019-0010
2019 - View publication details
Bing, D.J., Beauchesne, D., McLaren, D., Gan, Y., Balasubramanian, P., Naeem, H. (2019). AAC olive marrowfat pea. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 99(5), 780-782. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2019-0119
2019 - View publication details
Balasubramanian, P.M., Chatterton, S., Conner, R.L. (2019). AAC expedition pinto dry bean. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 99(3), 399-404. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2018-0258
2019 - View publication details
Sandhu, K.S., You, F.M., Conner, R.L., Balasubramanian, P.M., Hou, A. (2018). Genetic analysis and QTL mapping of the seed hardness trait in a black common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) recombinant inbred line (RIL) population. Molecular Breeding, [online] 38(3), http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11032-018-0789-y
2018 - View publication details
Kader, K.A., Balasubramanian, P.M., Chatterton, S. (2018). Influence of irrigation and plant canopy architecture on white mould disease of dry bean. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 98(6), 1280-1292. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2018-0095
2018 - View publication details
Hou, A., Conner, R.L., Balasubramanian, P.M. (2018). AAC scotty cranberry common bean. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 98(6), 1416-1420. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2018-0110
2018 - View publication details
Akter, Z., Pageni, B.B., Lupwayi, N.Z., Balasubramanian, P.M. (2018). Biological nitrogen fixation by irrigated dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) genotypes. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 98(5), 1159-1167. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2017-0301
2018 - View publication details
Sandhu, K., Conner, R.L., Balasubramanian, P., Hou, A. (2017). Black dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) germplasm accessions with resistance to prevalent races of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum in Canada. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 98(1), 17-27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2016-0405
2017 - View publication details
Balasubramanian, P.M., Rupert, T., Marsolais, F., Park, S.J., Navabi, A., Smith, T.H., Khanal, R., Burt, A.J., Pauls, K.P. (2017). AAC Argosy navy dry bean. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 98(1), 199-202. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2017-0176
2017 - View publication details
Balasubramanian, P.M., Rupert, T., Marsolais, F., Park, S.J., Navabi, A., Smith, T.H., Khanal, R., Burt, A.J., Pauls, K.P. (2017). AAC Shock navy dry bean. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 98(1), 203-206. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2017-0175
2017 - View publication details
Sandhu K, You FM, Conner R, Balasubramanian P, Hou A (2018) QTL mapping of seed hardness trait in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). Joint Annual Meeting of Canadian Phytopathological Society and Canadian Society of Agronomy, Winnipeg, MB, June 18-22 (poster).
2017 - View publication details
Balasubramanian, P.M., Mündel, H.H., Chatterton, S., Conner, R.L., Hou, A. (2017). AAC Whitestar great northern dry bean. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 97(2), 349-351. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2016-0209
2017 - View publication details
Akter, Z., Lupwayi, N.Z., Balasubramanian, P.M. (2017). Nitrogen use efficiency of irrigated dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) genotypes in southern alberta. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 97(4), 610-619. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2016-0254
2017 - View publication details
Sandhu K, You FM, Conner R, Balasubramanian P, Hou A (2016) Genetic analysis of seed hardness trait in a black bean recombinant inbred line (RIL) population. The 10th Canadian Pulse Research Workshop, Winnipeg, MB, October 25-28, 2016.
2016 - View publication details
K.A. Kader, P.M. Balasubramanian, and S. Chatterton. Effect of irrigation and plant canopy architecture on white mold disease development in dry bean. Canadian Pulse Research Workshop, Winnipeg MB, October 26 – 28, 2016. (oral presentation)
2016 - View publication details
K.A. Kader, P.M. Balasubramanian, and S. Chatterton. Identification of molecular markers linked to resistance to bacterial wilt in dry bean. Canadian Pulse Research Workshop, Winnipeg MB, October 26 – 28, 2016. (poster presentation)
2016 - View publication details
Chatterton, S., Balasubramanian, P.M., Erickson, R.S., Hou, A., McLaren, D.L., Henriquez, M.A., Conner, R.L. (2016). Identification of bacterial pathogens and races of Pseudomonas syringae pv. Phaseolicola from dry bean fields in Western Canada. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, [online] 38(1), 41-54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07060661.2016.1141800
2016 - View publication details