The University of Idaho's dry bean breeding program will host a field day Aug. 18 at the Kimberly Research and Extension Center.

Edible and seed bean producers, processors, marketers, researchers, field technicians and other interested visitors are invited to this free event. It will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 1:00 p.m. after a light lunch.

Participants will get a glimpse of the breeding program's first new group of pinto and great northern beans, which are now in early stages of evaluation. UI bean breeder Shree Singh and other agricultural scientists will describe achievements and continuing efforts in breeding new varieties, improving white mold resistance and developing dry beans for low-input sustainable farming systems. Research on continual bean cropping, drought stress, and water and nutrient-use efficiency will also be highlighted.

For more information, call Anita Fahrenwald Crafton at (208) 423-4691, Richard Hayes at (208) 423-6654 or Shree Singh at (208) 423-6609. The Kimberly R&E Center is located 5 miles east of Twin Falls on Kimberly Road.