Accumulating alleles of resistance to white mold in common beans over 13 recurrent selection cycles

White mold, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary, is one of the main diseases affecting common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) crops. Breeding for resistance to this pathogen is challenging because it is a polygenic trait with low heritability, controlled by many genes, each contributing small to moderate effects. Recurrent selection (RS) has proven effective in accumulating favorable alleles for white mold resistance, as previously demonstrated in common bean. This study reports the effectiveness of an RS program in developing common bean progenies resistant to white mold. The 12 most resistant progenies from cycle XII were intercrossed, resulting in cycle XIII. From this cycle, 486 S 0 seeds were selected, sown, and assessed in a greenhouse (GH) using the straw test method to assess their reaction to isolate Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA) 27. The 42 most resistant S 0 plants were advanced to the S 0:2 generation. The S 0:2 progenies were further assessed for their reaction to UFLA 27 in the GH. In the genetic progress trial, the five best progenies from cycles X, XI, XII, and XIII were selected, along with four checks: two resistant (A195 and Cornell605) and two susceptible (Beryl and IPR Corujinha). The S 0:2 progenies from cycle XIII showed the lowest severity scores, with genetic progress of 4.27% across isolates, 4.62% against UFLA 27, and 3.96% against UFLA 145. These results show that RS is effective in accumulating favorable alleles, contributing to durable resistance. Thus, it is possible to develop adapted lines with high white mold resistance, supporting the sustainability of common bean production.