From the February 2024 Newsletter
Led by Dr. Juan Osorno, North Dakota State University
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most consumed grain legume in southern Africa. Besides being a major source of protein and income for many households, it is a critical component of food security. The common bean weevil (a.k.a. bean bruchid) is a major post-harvest pest responsible for 48-100% losses in seed quality and quantity.
This project aimed to mitigate post-harvest losses of common bean and consequently, increase food security in three southern African countries Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia. The project objectives were: (i) deploy weevil resistance in preferred market classes of common bean in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia, (ii) develop and validate molecular markers for weevil resistance screening, and (iii) train the next-generation bean breeders from Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.
Three improved sister germplasm lines that were developed co-operatively by Sokoine University of Agriculture, Oregon State University, USDA-ARS and the University of Puerto Rico were used as sources of weevil resistance. The basis of weevil resistance for these genotypes is the APA locus originally derived from tepary bean (P. acutifolius A. Gray).
Sixteen breeding lines were identified as resistant, and shared with collaborators in Malawi, Mozambique, and the USA for agronomic performance, cooking time evaluation, and molecular marker validation.
At least two breeding lines are currently being considered for commercial release.
Furthermore, the project has trained four female next-generation breeders in plant breeding at the master’s level. One student from Zambia was trained at North Dakota State University, and the other three from Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia were trained at the University of Zambia in the Plant Breeding and Seed System master’s program. This graduate training has strengthened common bean research capacity for the national breeding programs in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia.
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