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.
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Categories: Michigan, Crops