Supporting communities to increase bean productivity through enhanced accessibility to seed of preferred bean varieties in Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania

CCRP projects

»Andes CoP

-select a project- ---------------------- CURRENT PROJECTS 09-022: Andean pests 09-025: Climate risk management 09-029: Native potato seed systems 09-033: Agrobiodiversity and nutrition 09-168: Food security 09-169: Communal ag. risk mgt. 09-1100: On-farm conservation 09-1203: Quinoa sustainability 09-1204: Quinoa II 10-867: Andean grains II 10-880: Organic groundnut II 10-881: Water security II 11-381: Sustainable agriculture 11-382: Community baskets II 11-405: Lupine pest management ---------------------- PAST PROJECTS 01-1563: Andean tubers (Peru) 05-112: Biodiversity and soil 05-112: Cover agriculture 05-112: Green manures/legumes 05-112: Lupin/quinoa 05-112: Native potato 05-112: Potato moth 05-112: Seed systems 06-016: Quinoa 07-702: Nutrition support 07-1209: Soil nutrient budgets 09-005: Organic groundnut 09-016: Andean grains 09-032: Water security 09-170: Self-sufficiency 09-181: Biopesticide/potato moth 09-955: Community baskets

»East & Horn of Africa CoP

-select a project- ---------------------- CURRENT PROJECTS 08-019: Sweetpotato breeding 09-460: Chickpea/banana 09-480: Cowpea 09-500: Banana Xanthomonas wilt 09-517: Grain amaranth 09-595: Semi-arid AEI 10-333: Sorghum 10-401: Finger millet II 10-423: Tef II 10-473: Legumes 10-689: Napier stunt 10-690: Participatory video 11-283: Enset bacterial wilt 11-404: Biochar ---------------------- PAST PROJECTS 06-447: Cereal roots 06-448: Tef/finger millet

»Southern Africa CoP

-select a project- ---------------------- CURRENT PROJECTS 09-262: Groundnut PHVC 09-273: Bruchid management 09-297: Botanical pesticides/legumes 09-1086: P-efficient legumes II 09-1206: Cowpea/Alectra II 09-1207: Groundnut breeding II 09-1231: Legume best bets II 10-531: Bean seed II 10-713: Climbing beans II 10-714: Bambara groundnuts II 10-889: PV groundnut ---------------------- PAST PROJECTS 05-780: P-efficient legumes 06-740: Legume best bets 06-741: Cowpea/Alectra 06-742: Groundnut breeding 06-743: Bean seed 06-744: Climbing beans 09-298: Soil fertility mgt. 09-299: Bambara groundnuts

»West Africa CoP

-select a project- ---------------------- CURRENT PROJECTS 09-036: GIMEM 09-451: P-efficient cowpea 09-465: Technology introduction 09-495: Orange-fleshed sweetpotato 10-134: Sorghum/millet II 10-135: Seed systems II 10-140: An Be Jigi II 10-231: Soil/water manag. 10-332: Fonio 11-599: Sorghum/millet proc.II 11-600: Bambara productivity II ---------------------- PAST PROJECTS 05-009: Sweetpotato 06-011: Insect pest management 06-012: Nutrition 06-013: Grain legumes 06-014: Sorghum/millet improv. 06-015: Seed systems 09-437: Bambara productivity 09-450: Sorghum/millet proc.

»Non-CoP projects

-select a project- ---------------------- PAST PROJECTS 00-1071: Milpa 01-1564: Wheat scab 02-026: Wolbachia 02-027: Chickpea 02-246: Indigenous vegetables 02-460: Potato 02-476: Sweetpotato diversity 02-644: Finger millet 02-778: Legumes 05-781: Rice biodiversity

Project leader

Dr. Wilkson Makumba, Bunda College of Agriculture, Malawi

Funding dates

2/25/2011-2/24/2014

Previous/current project phases

Overview

The common bean is an important source of vegetable protein for farmers in sub-humid Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania, is also a source of cash and is known to improve soil health. CIAT has introduced climbing bean germplasm that is adapted to medium altitude environments of southern Africa with relatively short growing periods, typical of the Blantyre Shire Highlands in Malawi, border areas into Mozambique and the southern Highlands of Tanzania. CIAT estimates that new climbing bean varieties would offer farmers higher yield usually ranging from 2 - 3 times that of the dwarf beans common to these areas. CCRP-funded work by the Department of Agricultural Research Services (DARS), CIAT and NGOs in Malawi and Mozambique from 2006 to 2010 demonstrated that climbing beans can be productive at medium and high altitudes but suffered from drought and a virus disease (BCMV) in dry years.

To develop the potential of climbing beans, a second phase of this project is now focusing on developing models that will enable land- and labor-constrained growers to integrate climbing beans into the existing maize-based system without the need to use staking systems that are expensive in resource use. Inter-cropping will be tested in the summer rains and sole crops will also be evaluated on irrigated plots in valley bottoms where high value winter crops are grown. Work will also be undertaken to select virus-resistant lines using climbing bean lines bred by CIAT that are now available for testing in Africa. Using lessons from the CCRP Bean Seed System project, mechanisms to facilitate growers’ access to quality seed will be demonstrated on a local scale.

The project team includes staff from national programs in Mozambique and southern Tanzania working in areas that CIAT have identified as suitable for the production of climbing beans. Grantees will link to NGOs and district extension staff to evaluate climbing bean production systems, supply seed and promote the crop on a local pilot scale.

Regional Strategy

Coming soon.

Project aim and results

• Bean varieties resistant to BCMV identified and promoted for production.
• Farmers’ awareness of improved bean varieties created and adoption of promising varieties increased.
• Recommendation for agronomic practices developed
• Labor saving technologies developed and recommended
• A model of “Best-Fit” of the climbing beans with different farming systems developed.
• Knowledge of climbing bean quality seed production and bean management will be enhanced.

New technology produced/knowledge achieved

• Crosses to introduce BCMV resistance genes into farmers preferred bean varieties have been conducted and the genotypes with potential resistance to BCMV disease are being evaluated on-station for their performance.
• Surveys to identify bean farming systems as potential niches for climbing beans has been done in Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique, and data analysis is underway.

Project annual reports

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