This document outlines a research program focused on using grain legumes to combat poverty, hunger, malnutrition and environmental degradation. The program involves evaluating genetic resources of legumes for important traits, developing new breeding tools and methods, and identifying markers and traits associated with stress tolerance. Major outputs include genetic resources documented for nutritional traits, new breeding methods developed, and novel genes incorporated through hybridization or engineering. The program also aims to develop sustainable crop and pest management practices, breed resilient and nutritious cultivars, strengthen grain legume value chains, and establish efficient seed production and delivery systems.

1. Sep 2011
IMOD
Innovate Grow Prosper
Inclusive Market Oriented Development
Research Program
Grain Legumes
Legumes to combat poverty, hunger, malnutrition and environmental degradation
Genetic resources and novel breeding methods/tools for
improved efficiency of crop improvement
Research areas
• Evaluate legume mini core collections and reference sets for important stresses and
traits
• Develop novel breeding tools and methods to improve efficiency of breeding
• Develop phenotyping platforms
• Whole genome sequencing and genotype by sequencing for genome wide selection
• Identify marker traits association.
Major outputs
• Genetic resources evaluated and documented for nutritional and adaptation traits
• Novel and efficient breeding methods/tools for cultivar development
• Novel genes incorporated through wide hybridization/genetic engineering to broaden
the genetic base of grain legumes.
Crop and pest management practices for sustainable legume
production
Research areas
• Develop management practices for enhanced nutrient and water use
• Improve biological nitrogen fixation
• Develop integrated management of insect pests, diseases and weeds.
Productive and nutritious legume cultivars for resilient
cropping systems
Research areas
• Breeding cultivars with high yield potential and greater yield stability
• Breeding cultivars with enhanced nutritional and commercial values and improved
food safety.
Grain legume value chains
Research areas
• Characterize grain legume value chains
• Develop value addition opportunities for the poor, especially women
• Develop cost saving and drudgery - reducing technologies for legumes.
Major outputs
• Grain legume value chains for the poor, especially women, enhanced
• Institutional innovations to engage poor farmers with input and product markets
identified and piloted
• Post-harvest technologies/practices and value-added products benefiting women
identified and promoted
• Drudgery and cost-saving small-scale machinery for grain legume processing developed.
Efficient legume seed production and delivery systems
Research areas
• Develop models for efficient seed production and delivery systems for smallholder
legume farmers
• Facilitate integration of formal and informal legume seed systems
• Support development of pro-legume seed policies.
Major outputs
• Decentralized seed systems enhanced through systematic diagnosis and
implementation of appropriate models
• Capacity of public and private sector in legume seed systems strengthened
• Enabling seed policies for legume seed systems based on thorough analysis of
current arrangements
• Framework for national seed security for vulnerable regions and households (poor and
women) developed.
Major outputs
• Strategies to optimize Biological Nitrogen
Fixation by legumes developed and
promoted
• Methods to increase legume productivity
and profitability through increased
resource use efficiency developed, tested
and promoted
• Tools and protocols for more effective insect
pest, disease and weed management
developed, tested and promoted
• Strategies for increasing legume
production in response to climate change
identified and tested.
Major outputs
• High yielding cultivars
for different production
systems developed
• High yielding cultivars
with enhanced resistance/
tolerance to key biotic
and abiotic stresses,
and resilience to climate
change developed
• Improved germplasm
better targeted to
smallholder niches
developed
• Elite lines/cultivars with
enhanced nutritional
composition and end-user
preferred traits developed
• Elite lines/cultivars with
enhanced nutrient use
efficiency, high nitrogen
fixation developed.