Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is one of the most important legume crops for human consumption. However, its grain yield can be reduced by up to 90% by the seedborne disease, anthracnose. Fungicide treatment is costly and time-consuming. The introduction of host plant resistance against this disease appears, therefore, to be crucial for enhancing the productivity of this crop in Kyrgyzstan. The use of DNA-based markers in backcrossing programmes may help speed up the breeding for resistance. In this study, we used a combination of inoculation tests and a DNA marker (SCAreoli marker) to track the transfer of host-plant resistance (Co-2 gene) from two donor cultivars, 'Vaillant' and 'Flagrano', to susceptible Kyrgyz cultivars 'Ryabaya', 'Kytayanka' and 'Lopatka', which are widely grown in the country. The segregating offspring were evaluated to test the reliability of the SCAreoli marker as selection aid for host-plant resistance to anthracnose. Our study showed that a co-dominant DNA marker can successfully be used in backcross breeding to distinguish segregating material in different market classes of common bean. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.