Location: Tropical Crops and Germplasm Research
Project Number: 6090-21000-063-011-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Feb 20, 2024
End Date: May 30, 2025
Objective:
The goal of this project is to improve common bean production in Honduras and Guatemala where crops are exposed to multiple disease constraints, invasive pests such as the Asian Bean Thrip (Megalurothrips usitatus Bagnall) and extreme climatic conditions, including high temperature and drought. Greater and more stable common bean yields will improve smallholder farmer incomes, reduce poverty of rural families, and enhance food security. These goals will be achieved through the release of disease and pest resistant and climate-resilient common bean cultivars suitable for production in lowland areas of Honduras, Guatemala, and other CA/C countries, and will benefit U.S. agriculture through the development of improved germplasm for U.S. farmers. These cultivars will be released through an ongoing and successful collaboration involving National Agricultural Research Programs (NARs), CIAT, Universities, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
Approach:
First, we will release and disseminate common bean cultivars with multiple disease and insect resistance, climate resilience, and enhanced commercial seed characteristics to improve common bean productivity in Central America. Specifically, the project will support the formal release of SEF 70 (‘Rojo Fortificado’) in Honduras, a small red bean, and of SMN 97 (ICTA Tahual), a small black bean, in Guatemala. Both lines exhibit key disease resistance traits and abiotic stress tolerance, prevalent in the region and are bio-fortified with higher iron and zinc concentrations in the seed to improve human nutrition. Second, we will incorporate multistakeholder integration in the project facilitated by incorporating farmers in the existing CIAL network in Honduras and The Rural Extension Program in Guatemala, as well as industry and government stakeholders in the common bean sector. Priority constraints will be determined at the multistakeholder meeting and priorities will be set for research areas. In this one-year project, testing of the small red bean PR1743-44 with the CIAL network in Honduras and seed production will be expanded. The results of this evaluation could be used in subsequent years to justify the formal release of this bruchid and multiple virus-resistant line. Third, The Asian Bean Thrips (ABT) has become a widespread constraint for bean production in the CA/C in the last several years. Based on our current understanding of ABT biology and Phaseolus bean resistance, initial screening efforts will be initiated through the establishment of a regional bean panel composed of common, interspecific and tepary beans that have shown tolerance under ABT pressure, and that will include lines developed for important pests including leafhoppers, bruchids and pod borers.
