Home gardeners who have ever watched their precious vegetables succumb to disease know well that the results are devastating and heartbreaking. One very helpful preventative measure is through the use of disease resistant seeds. Many seed companies, including Burpee, Harris, Stokes and Johnny’s Selected Seeds, offer seeds that are resistant to certain common pathogens. Tomatoes, for example, are particularly prone to various forms of blight, while squash and pumpkin can often fall ill to powdery mildew.
List of Disease Resistance Vegetable Seeds
Below is a list of common vegetables and seed varieties that are resistant to disease and other conditions. It is only a starting point, but gives you a good idea of the resistance of some of the more popular cultivars. The vegetable variety is listed first followed by the resistant diseases.
Bookmark this list and refer to it as you garden. Identify if one of these plant diseases or conditions occur in your garden, and take a preventative step next gardening season and plant a disease resistant variety.
Bean Disease Resistance Seeds
- Provider (Green/Bush): Bean Mosaic Virus Race 15, Common Bean Mosaic, Downy Mildew, Powdery Mildew
- Valentino (Green/Bush): Common Bean Mosaic, Rust, Heat
- Nickel (French): Anthracnose, Bacterial Brown Spot, Common Bean Mosaic
- Carson (Wax): Anthracnose, Bacterial Brown Spot Race 15, Bean Mosaic Virus
- Rocdor (Wax): Anthracnose, Bean Mosaic Virus, Common Bean Mosaic, Cold
Broccoli Disease Resistance Seeds
- Arcadia: Brown Bead, Black Rot, Downy Mildew, Head Rot, Cold, Heat, Hollow Stem
- Eureka: Black Rot, Downy Mildew, Cold
- Marathon F1: Brown Bead, Downy Mildew, Cold
- Gypsy F1: Downy Mildew, Heat
- Windsor F1: Brown Bead, Downy Mildew, Head Rot, Cold, Heat
Cabbage Disease Resistance Seeds
- Bilko: Bacterial Speck, Clubroot, Fusarium Yellows, Bolting
- Blue Vantage: Black Rot, Bacterial Speck, Clubroot, Fusarium Yellows, Yellow Resistant, Tip Burn
- Constellation: Fusarium Yellows, Yellow Resistant, Thrips
- Platinum Dynasty: Black Rot, Fusarium Yellows, Yellow Resistant, Tip Burn
- Rona Red: Black Rot, Fusarium Yellows, Thrips, Tip Burn
Carrots Disease Resistance Seeds
- Bolero: Alternaria Leaf Blight, Cercospora, Powdery Mildew
- Kuroda: Alternaria Leaf Blight
- Nectar (F1) (OG): Alternaria Leaf Blight, Cercospora
- Sugarsnax 54: Alternaria Leaf Blight, Cercospora, Stress
- Vitana: Alternaria Leaf Blight
Corn, Sweet Disease Resistance Seeds
- Xtra-Tender 277A (F1): Northern Corn Leaf Blight, Southern Corn Leaf Blight
- Augusta: Northern Corn Leaf Blight, Southern Corn Leaf Blight, Smut, Rust
- Jackpot: Stewart’s Wilt, Northern Corn Leaf Blight
- Argent: Stewart’s Wilt, Cold
- Fantastic: Stewart’s Wilt, Rust
Cucumber Disease Resistance Seeds
- Burpee Pickler: Cucumber Mosaic Virus
- Eureka: Angular Leaf Spot, Downy Mildew, Powdery Mildew, Scab, Cucumber Mosaic Virus, Watermelon Mosaic Virus Strain 2, Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus
- Jackson: Angular Leaf Spot, Anthracnose (1 or 2), Downy Milew, Powdery Mildew, Scab, Cucumber Mosaic Virus
- Patio Pickle: Angular Leaf Spot, Anthracnose (1 or 2), Downy Milew, Powdery Mildew, Scab, Cucumber Mosaic Virus
- Transamerica: Angular Leaf Spot, Anthracnose (1 or 2), Downy Milew, Powdery Mildew, Scab, Cucumber Mosaic Virus
Eggplant Disease Resistance Seeds
- Black Bell II: Tomato Mosaic Virus
- Black Beauty: Blossom End Scar
- Epic: Tomato Mosaic Virus
- Megal: Tomato Mosaic Virus, Cold
- Night Shadow: Blosson End Scar, Scar
Lettuce Disease Resistance Seeds
- Adriana (Butterhead): Downy Mildew, Lettuce Mosaic Virus, Bolting, Heat, Tip Burn
- Buttercrunch (Butterhead): Bolting
- Summertime (Butterhead): Bolting, Heat, Brown Rib, Tip Burn
- Nevada (Green Leaf): Bottom Rot, Downy Mildew, Lettuce Mosaic Virus, Bolting, Tip Burn
- New Red Fire MI (Red Leaf): Bottom Rot, Downy Mildew, Bolting, Heat, Tip Burn
Melon Disease Resistance Seeds
- Ambrosia F1: Downy Mildew, Powdery Mildew
- Burpee Hybrid: Powdery Mildew
- Diva: Fusarium Wilt Race 0, 1 or 2
- Early Gala: Fusarium Wilt Race 0, Powdery Mildew
- Sarah’s Choice (F1): Fusarium Wilt Race 0, 1 or 2, Powdery Mildew
Onion Disease Resistance Seeds
- Vespucci (Yellow): Fusarium Crown Rot, Pink Root Rot
- Monetero (Yellow Spanish): Fusarium Crown Rot, Pink Root Rot, Bolting
- Sabroso (Yellow Spanish): Fusarium Crown Rot, Pink Root Rot, Bolting
- Feast (Bunching): Angular Leaf Spot, Downy Mildew, Heat
- Pulsar (Yellow): Fusarium Crown Rot, Pink Root Rot, Bolting
Peas Disease Resistance Seeds
- Encore: Fusarium Wilt, Powdery Mildew
- Strike: Fusarium Wilt, Pythium Root Rot
- Sugar Sprint: Powdery Mildew
- Super Sugar Snap: Powdery Mildew
- Premium: Fusarium Wilt
Pepper Disease Resistance Seeds
- Early Sunsation (Yellow Bell): Bacterial Leaf Spot Race #1, 2 and 3, Cucumber Mosaic Virus, Potato Virus Y, Tobacco Mosaic Virus
- Declaration (Green Bell): Bacterial Leaf Spot Race #1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, Cucumber Mosaic Virus, Phytophthora, Tomato Spotted Wilt
- Karisma (Sweet Bell): Bacterial Leaf Spot Race #1,2 and 3, Cucumber Mosaic Virus, Phytophthora, Pepper Mottle Virus, Potato Virus Y, Tobacco Moasic Virus
- Tomcat (Bell): Bacterial Leaf Spot Race #1,2,3,4 and 5, Tobacco Etch Virus, Tobacco Mosaic Virus
- El Jefe (Hot): Blossom Drop #1,2, and 3; Potato Virus Y
Pumpkin Disease Resistance Seeds
- Lil’ Ironsides: Fusarium Fruit Rot, Phytophthora Fruit Rot
- Magic Lantern: Powdery Mildew
- Mystic Plus: Mystic Plus
- Iron Man: Fusarium Fruit Rot, Powdery Mildew, Phytophthora Fruit Rot
- Munchkin (Miniature): Cucumber Mosaic Virus, Watermelon Mosaic Virus Strain 2, Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus
Spinach Disease Resistance Seeds
- Melody: Cucumber Mosaic Virus, Downy Mildew
- Tyee (Savoy): Cucumber Mosaic Virus, Downy Mildew, Bolting, Heat
- Olympia: Downy Mildew, Bolting
- Unipak 151: Downy Mildew, Heat
- Regiment: Downy Mildew, Bolting
Squash Disease Resistance Seeds
- General Patton: Powdery Mildew
- Sunray: Powdery Mildew, Cucumber Mosaic Virus, Watermelon Mosaic Virus (Strain 2)
- Bobcat (HMX6704): Papaya Ringspot Virus (WMV-1), Watermelon Mosaic Virus (Strain 2), Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus
- Revenue: Cucmber Mosaic Virus, Watermelon Mosaic Virus (Strain 2), Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus
- Honey Bear (Acorn): Powdery Mildew
Tomato Disease Resistance Seeds
- Better Boy F1: Alternia Stem Canker, Fusarium Wilt 1, Gray Leaf Spot, Nematode, Verticillium Wilt, Cracking
- Big Boy: Alternia Stem Canker, Canker
- Early Girl: Fusarium Wilt 1, Fusarium Wilt 2, Verticillium Wilt
- Rutgers: Alternia Stem Canker, Fusrium Wilt 1, Gray Leaf Spot, Verticullium Wilt, Cracking
- Supersweet 100 (Cherry): Tobamovirus Pathotype O, Verticullium Wilt 1
Want to learn more about disease resistant vegetable seeds?
Vegetable Disease Fact Sheets from Cornell University Department of Plant Pathology
Tables of Disease Resistant Varieties from Cornell University Department of Plant Pathology
Are Gurney’s seeds GMO? I thought I read last year that they are not GMO, but I now have a 2016 catalog and it DOES NOT say, non GMO.
How much for the cabbage, cucumber and tomato seeds
They aren’t GMO. Only some corn, soybeans and wheat are GMO. And hybrid doesn’t mean GMO. Relax and enjoy your life.
Very interested to order seeds. Can you please provide me with the list of seeds and quotation.
Where can I buy these disease resistant varieties. I have only found a few.
I can not find anyone who sells the disease resistant squash seeds you show on your list; General Patton, Sunray, Bobcat.
Help!
Thank you, jim
You had an article about Disease Resistant Squash Seeds, General Patton, Sunray, Bobcat were discussed . Note, I can NOT find these seeds anywhere, anywhere!!
Can you help?
Thank, Jim
If possible, rotate your crops so similar vegetables are not planted in the same location consecutively. Remember to place your tallest growing crops on the north side of the garden so as not to shade lower growing plants. Also allow for good air movement through the garden. This ensures that moisture on plant leaves dries quickly and may lessen disease problems.
Finding the squash seeds so listed is almost, 99%, impossible.
I’m seeking disease-resistant pole/shelling beans. Any suggestions there? Thanks.