Location: Tropical Crops and Germplasm Research
Project Number: 6090-21000-059-002-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: Sep 30, 2013
End Date: Sep 30, 2022
Objective:
1. Increase common bean and tepary bean yields for low-input agriculture, including low fertility soils that are limiting for nitrogen, phosphorus, and/or potassium, through development of germplasm with increased macronutrient resource use efficiency and enhanced capacity for biological nitrogen fixation.
2. Reduce common bean production losses caused by diseases, with an emphasis on angular leaf spot and charcoal rot, by genetic improvement of resistance in local cultivars.
3. Provide training in bean-related research for African students and scientists to build capacity for agricultural research and bean breeding in Africa.
4. Provide characterized common bean (Andean origin) and tepary bean germplasm, as well as genotypic and phenotypic information on these lines, to the bean breeding community.
Approach:
1. Breeding approaches will be used to increase common bean and tepary bean yields for low-input agriculture through selection under abiotic and biotic stress conditions.
2. Evaluation and selection of germplasm with disease resistance, followed by hybridization and breeding will be used to reduce common bean production losses caused by diseases, with an emphasis on angular leaf spot and charcoal rot.
3. Masters training will be provided for a Feed the Future country scientist to build capacity for agricultural research and bean breeding, and a breeding workshop followed by collaborative breeding approaches will be initiated in Africa.
4. Toward the later part of the grant period after characterization of the Andean Diversity Panel and breeding has been completed, characterized common bean and tepary bean germplasm, as well as genotypic and phenotypic information on these lines, will be provided to the bean breeding community.
