Canning quality of popular common bean germplasm in eastern and central Africa

Authors: MUKANKUSI, CLARE - Alliance Of Bioversity International And The International Center For Tropical Agriculture (CIAT); AMONGI, WINNYFRED - Alliance Of Bioversity International And The International Center For Tropical Agriculture (CIAT); KABWAMA, A - Alliance Of Bioversity International And The International Center For Tropical Agriculture (CIAT); BUENDIA, HECTOR FABIO - Alliance Of Bioversity International And The International Center For Tropical Agriculture (CIAT); RAATZ, BODO - Alliance Of Bioversity International And The International Center For Tropical Agriculture (CIAT); KASULE, F - National Agricultural Research Organization - Uganda; KAYAGA, H - Makerere University; MUGHU, H - Makerere University; Cichy, Karen; BALASUBRAMANIAN, P - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada

Submitted to: African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2022
Publication Date: 10/1/2022
Citation: Mukankusi, C., Amongi, W., Kabwama, A., Buendia, H., Raatz, B., Kasule, F., Kayaga, H., Mughu, H., Cichy, K.A., Balasubramanian, P. 2022. Canning quality of popular common bean germplasm in eastern and central Africa. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development. 22(8):21269-21307. https://doi.org/10.18697/ajfand.113.21630.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18697/ajfand.113.21630

Interpretive Summary: Common bean is the most important directly consumed food legume in the world, and it is an important source of dietary protein in Africa where it feeds over 400 million people. Local consumers within the East African region majorly buy beans in a dry unprocessed form, but there are an increasing number of middle-income consumers in East Africa, who are majorly city dwellers and are willing to pay for the convenience of pre-cooked/canned beans. The canning quality of common beans is an assessment of how well beans withstand canning and is influenced by many factors, including genotype, environment, and seed handling and processing methods after harvest. The objective of this research was to determine the canning quality of popular climbing and bush beans in east and central Africa as a background study to initiate selection and breeding for these traits. There was diversity among genotypes used in this study which can be further exploited to improve canning quality traits of common beans. Several genotypes were identified that could be promoted for canning purposes to capture the diverse market preferences in seed color that exist in Africa.

Technical Abstract: Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) genotypes popular in eastern and central Africa were evaluated to determine their suitability for the canning industry. The genotypes were planted at the National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL), Kawanda-Uganda in the second rainy seasons (September-December) of 2015 and 2017. Two samples per genotype were evaluated at the canning facilities at Kawanda and Michigan State University (MSU) using a protocol based on home canning. One sample per genotype from the 2017 harvest was evaluated at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre (AAFC-LRDC) using the industry canning protocol. Data (n=134) was collected on seed moisture content, dry and soaked bean weight, hydration coefficient (HC) and visual quality, including colour retention, appearance, brine clarity, bean splitting and freedom starch/clumps on replicated samples. Additional data on unreplicated samples were collected on 100-seed weight, seed solids for canning, hydration coefficient after soaking (HCS), hydration coefficient after blanching (HCB), drain weight (%), matting, appearance, seed color, texture, cooking quality traits, hard seed and partially hydrated seed (%) and HC after cooking. Analysis of variance of data from MSU and Kawanda showed significant (P=0.01) differences among genotypes for the assessed parameters. Majority of the genotypes expressed good soaking ability considering that their HC were above the 1.8 recommended for canning and 28% combined the two mentioned traits with good overall canning quality visual rating. Apart from 26, all other varieties had good HC based on data from Canada. About 24% of genotypes belonging to various market classes consistently combined this trait with good visual quality. The most outstanding genotypes based on these traits included SAB659 (red mottled), MAC44 (red mottled), NABE21 (cream), NABE12C (cream) and VAX5 (cream), KK8 (red mottled), Bihogo (yellow) and VAX4 (black). These genotypes were superior to the white beans: MEXICO 142, Awash1, and Awash melka, that were considered as high-quality controls. Results indicated that genotypes of diverse backgrounds, with good canning quality traits exist among the elite germplasm. This diversity could be exploited for breeding and varietal promotion in the canning industry.