Breeding for Multiple Constraint
Resistant, Micronutrient Rich Content
and Niche Market Bean Varieties in
the light of PABRA Workplans and
Milestones
Clare Mukankusi and Rowland Chirwa
WECABREN Annual Regional Workshop
11-17th December, 2011, Splendid Hotel,
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Outline
 Aim of PABRA’s breeding Program
 Breeding Research Themes
 The previous and current PABRA 2009-13 framework
 The immediate outcome for resilience
 Outputs and activity sets under resilience
 Outputs and activity sets under nutrition
 Outputs and activity sets under niche markets
 Expected Breeding outputs
 Expected activities in group discussions

AIM OF PABRA’S BREEDING PROGRAM
– To develop resilient bean germplasm (adapted to
fluctuations and extremes of climatic, edaphic
factors, pests and diseases) and maintain stable
bean production and quality in the presence of
diverse stresses; enhancing the capacities of the
communities to cope with stresses

Breeding Research Themes addressed
Multiple
trait
BIOTIC varieties
ABIOTIC
Tolerance to
water logging
Tolerance to Drought
Tolerance to Tolerance to
Pests poor soil fertility Heat/cold
Diseases
Niche Market products: Nutrition Breeding:
International and Regional Markets
High iron and Zinc
Runner beans Snap beans Canning beans
Low Polyphenol
Efficacy and effectiveness

REVISED PABRA LOGIC MODEL 2009-2013
Ultimate Intermediate Immediate Outcome
Outcome Outcomes
1.1: Increased access by especially women farmers to
improved dry bean varieties resistant to multiple
environmental stresses
Increased and in
Improved gender equitable 1.2: Increased access to cost effective and environmentally
nutrition and friendly integrated stress management options (e.g. for soil
health,
manner utilization fertility and water, pest and diseases) by particularly women
of improved and farmers
gender
equality, marketable bean
food varieties , new 1.3: Increased access to micronutrient rich bean based
security, crop products in the diets of vulnerable communities
incomes and
natural 1.4: Increased access to high value bean products
targeted to niche markets with a focus on women
resource Increased trade
base for
sustainable
in a gender
1.5: Increased capacity of men and women to
livelihoods equitable participate in technology development, delivery and
of resource manner decision making bodies equitably
poor women
and men
Increased response
farmers 2.1: Increased access to new and existing markets and
to demands in the opportunities for both men and women
bean sector , and
utilizing information
and knowledge to
3.1: Increased access particularly for information and
influence bean
knowledge that shapes bean technology development,
policy in a gender delivery and influence policy
equitable manner

1.1: Increased access by especially women farmers to
improved dry bean varieties resistant to multiple
environmental stresses
 Output 1.1.1:  Output 1.1.2: • Output1.1.3: • Output 1.1.4:
Current and Genetic, At least 130 Gender
future risks to physiological, new multiple responsive
bean production pathogenic and stress and efficient
and utilization pest resistant dry bean
associated with mechanisms bean varieties
major conferring germplasm delivery
environmental resistance to identified , systems
stresses and different widely tested developed,
end user environmental and selected assessed and
systems stresses for release used for
reviewed and studied, targeting end
analyzed validated and user
documented

Output 1.1.1: Current and future risks to bean
production and utilization associated with major
environmental stresses and end user systems
reviewed and analyzed
Activity Set 1.1.1.1: Review and analyze current and
future risks to bean production and utilization associated
with major environmental stresses ( drought, floods,
heat, acid soils, salinity, low soil fertility, risk of soil
degradation, pest and diseases)
Questions to answer:
1. What have we done by country?
2. What are the results?
3. What next do we need to do?

Why is PABRA updating
the Atlas?
 Existing Atlas now 13 years old
 Atlas can show which countries have similar growing
conditions
 Atlas used to target research
 Atlas used to show some research results
 Atlas useful for obtaining funds for new research

What information is
included in the Atlas?
 Where are beans being grown?
 What is the cropping system?
 Who are the producers?
 Are beans marketed?
 What varieties are being grown and sold?
 What are the main problems?

Which countries have defined
bean production areas?
• Burundi • DRC • Togo
• Rwanda • Malawi
• Zambia
• Ethiopia
• Zimbabwe
• Uganda • Mozambique
• Kenya • South Africa
• Lesotho
• Tanzania
• Swaziland
• Madagascar
• Sudan

Which countries have completed the
thematic spreadsheet?
• Burundi • DRC • Togo
• Rwanda • Malawi
• Zambia
• Ethiopia
• Zimbabwe
• Uganda • Mozambique
• Kenya • South Africa
• Lesotho
• Tanzania
• Swaziland
• Madagascar
• Sudan

Examples
Production
Yield
Marketing
Constraints

Geo-referencing secondary data
Literature review
Extraction of key information:
Disease constraints
Severity
Disease race
Location / Distribution
Time period
Soil fertility constraints

End-product
Hardcopy
CD version of atlas with software
Online version of atlas
Final production depends on completion
of spreadsheet by all countries

Product of everyone
Over 320 individual researchers, farmers,
traders, seed suppliers and extension
workers
Average of 17 people per country

Output 1.1.2: Genetic, physiological, pathogenic
and pest mechanisms conferring resistance to
different environmental stresses studied, validated
and documented
Activity Set 1.1.2.1: Study, validate and document the
genetic, physiological, pathogenic and pest
mechanisms conferring resistance to different
environmental stresses (linking with capacity building)
and generate new stress resistant bean germplasm
Questions to answer:
1. What have we done by country?
2. What are the results?
3. What next do we need to do?

Root traits for P-efficiency
Picture from Katy Barlow
BRWN Root hairs BRGA
Roots of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)
17

Basal roots arise from distinct Number of basal roots determined by
whorls number of whorls (about 4 roots/whorl)
Genotype A:
number of basal roots
20 wild cultivated
3 whorls 15
10
5
Whorl 1 0
1 2 3 4
Whorl 2
Genotype B:
Whorl 3
1 whorl number of whorls
18

Adventitious root traits
Basal root whorl number
Basal root traits
Primary root
Shallow adventious roots – good for P-uptake
Deep primary and basal roots – good for water uptake under
drought stress

Output:1.1.3: At least 130 new multiple (2 or
more) stress resistant bean germplasm
identified , widely tested and selected for release
Activity Set 1.1.3.1: Identify, select and test widely
new multiple stress resistant bean germplasm for
release
Questions to answer:
1. What have we done by country?
2. What are the results?
3. What next do we need to do?

Released Bean Varieties with 2 or
more attributes (stress and others)

1.3: Increased access to micronutrient rich
bean based products in the diets of
vulnerable communities
Output 1.3.1: Bean • Output 1.3.2: Output 1.3.3: Output 1.3.4:
varieties with Prevalent Effects of Gender
enhanced nutrition methods and responsive
micronutrient deficiencies conditions of delivery
concentration and among post-harvest systems for
superior agronomic vulnerable grain micronutrient
traits community management on dense bean
accepted/released groups mapped nutritional varieties and
and seven quality and value added
bean based safety products
food product evaluated developed,
developed and assessed, and
tested applied for
targeting end
users
(vulnerable
groups and
service
providers)

• Output: 1.3.1: Bean varieties with improved micronutrient
concentration and superior agronomic traits developed and
made available
Activity Set 1.3.1.1: Identify elite parental sources for
seed iron and zinc concentration and use in
conventional and marker assisted breeding for high
nutrition quality, market, high yield and stress tolerant
varieties and assess mineral stability across agro-
ecological zones
Questions to answer:
1. What have we done by country?
2. What are the results?
3. What next do we need to do?

High Fe Products
First generation
Target: 70+ ppm Fe and 25-30 ppm Zn
Genetic variation: Local landraces, released or pre-release lines screening
Second generation
Target: 90 ppm Fe and >35 ppm Fe
Advanced Lines specifically bred for high micronutrient density; NUA, NUV,
ECAB and KAB lines
Third Generation
Target: 90 ppm Fe and >35 ppm Zn
Populations derived from intra-specific and inter-specific crosses to combine
micronutrient density with traits relevant for variety; e.g., High iron and drought
tolerance, High Fe and Low soil fertility tolerance, High Fe and BCMNV, High
iron and commercial varieties
Current Regional nursery : 29 climbing and 32 bush lines including products
from the three generations

Released bio-fortified varieties with high Fe (65-102
ppm) and Zn (29-37ppm) content (2009-2011)
Country Pre released Released
Burundi Nakaja Kiangara, VCB81013, Gasirida
GLP2, NGWAKUNGWAK, VCB81012
DR C - West CODMLB 001, CODMLB 033, M 211,
Acc714, Hm 21-7, Nain de Kyondo,
Namulenga, VCB 81013
DRC –East CODMLB 001, CODMLB 001
DRC South NUA45
Malawi NUA45, NUA59
Mozambique NUA45
Rwanda RWV3006, RWV2361, RWV3316, MAC MAC 44, RWV 1129, RWV 2361
42, RWR 2359, RWV 2887, RWR 3839, RWR 2154, RWR 2245, CAB 2, RWR 2070
RWR 3803, ECAB 0019, ECAB 0266
S. Tanzania NUA 45, NUA 56, Maarage Soja Roba-1
Zambia NUA 56, NUA 45, NUA 35, NUA 59
Zimbabwe NUA45
Swaziland Zebra, NUA45
Total 22 26

1.4 Increased access to high value bean
products targeted to niche markets with a
focus on women
Output 1.4.1: Competitive Output 1.4.2: Gender
and market demanded bean responsive delivery systems
products (varieties), including for market demanded dry
7 dry bean and 23 niche bean and niche market bean
market varieties (snap, varieties (snap, canning and
canning and organically organically produced)
produced) accepted/released developed, assessed and
in collaboration with used for targeting end users
smallholder farmers

Output 1.4.2: Competitive and market demanded
products identified and promoted in collaboration
with smallholder farmers
Activity set 4.2.1: Generate dry, snap, climbing,
runner, canning bean varieties for niche markets and
evaluate with farmers (male and female) and other
chain actors (consumers, traders, hoteliers, farmers,
processors etc.)
Questions to answer:
1. What have we done by country?
2. What are the results?
3. What next do we need to do?

Released niche market varieties among PABRA
member countries (2009-2011)
Country Pre released Released
Malawi VTTT924/4-4
Mozambique A222, VTTT923/10-3, VTTT924/4-4
Rwanda Pyramide
S. Tanzania Wanja Cross, NRI 06 E13, NRI 05
P200-
Zambia VTTT 923/10-3, Lwangeni, OPS-
KW1
Zimbabwe SUG131, Sugar bean, Gloria
(PC652-SS3)
Swaziland RS5, PAN9249
S DRC ECAB 0621,
ECAB 0607,
HSR 545-
South Africa PAN 9281, PAN 9280, PAN 9298,
PAN 9292, PAN9213
Total 3 19

Bean seed for equitable economic growth
I am
happy !

What progress do we expect to see
in breeding common beans for
multiple constraint resistance,
micronutrient richness and niche
markets

FLOW OF MATERIALS IN A BEAN BREEDING PROGRAM
Make Crosses Increase seed at F4 generation Conduct Advanced Yield Trials
(AYT) on-station and on-farm–
15-20 lines, 3 Reps, 3-4 sites.
FEMALE MALE Evaluate under stress again at Repeat 2 times possibly and
PARENT PARENT F5 – select best single rows select best lines
(Good X (Good
adapted sources of
variety or important Evaluate F6 generation,
landrace) genes) introduced lines or varieties Conduct National Performance
and landraces too) lines for Trials (NPT) - 10-15 varieties, 4
F1 - Selfed yield performance and -5 sites. Do Distinctiveness,
resistance to stress and select Use, and Stability (DUS) test if
Segregating F2 population the best lines required.
Conduct Preliminary Yield Release varieties that pass the
Evaluate Segregating F3 Trials (PYT)– 30-40 lines, 2 NPT and DUS test or client
populations under stress Reps, 2-3 sites on-station and selected varieties where there
environment– select best single on-farm. Repeat 2 times are no release procedures
plants possibly and select best lines