The document summarizes objectives and activities from Tropical Legumes I and II projects. The projects aimed to improve productivity of tropical legumes through developing genomic resources, identifying molecular markers and genes for biotic and drought stress resistance. Key outputs included genomic resources, genetic stocks with traits introgressed, molecular markers, improved germplasm, trained scientists, and data management strategies. The projects collaborated with partners in Africa and South Asia to build breeding capacity and validate approaches in drought-prone environments.

1. Tropical Legumes I:
Improving Tropical Legume Productivity for
Marginal Environments
in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

2. • Characterise diversity and develop germplasm for genetic
studies
• Generate genomic resources for genetic studies and breeding
• Identify molecular markers and genes for biotic stress resistance
• Identify molecular markers and genes for drought tolerance
• Enhance locally adapted germplasm with target traits
• Orthologous genetic markers for cross-genome analysis
• Comparative analysis of the Arachis-species complex.
• Estimating genome divergence at orthologous loci
TLI Phase I: Objective and Activities
Focus: 4 crops – beans, chickpeas, cowpeas & groundnuts,
and for each….

3. Objectives of TLI Phase II
 Validation of molecular markers and testing of molecular
breeding approaches in drought-prone environments for traits
important to sub-Saharan African farmers
 Precision phenotyping to guarantee accurate marker–trait
associations, and to refine selection indices used by breeders
 Data integration of all data-producing research activities in TLI,
Phases I and II, to ensure availability of high-quality, curated
and publicly available data
 Enhancing breeding capacity for programme partners in Africa
 Combined endeavor with building capacity for drought tolerance
breeding through the detailed study of cross-legume
phenotyping and on data management by cataloguing all
data generated in the project

4. TLI–PHASE II: IMPORTANT
OUTPUTS

5. TLI–Phase II: important outputs
 Genomic resources
 Genetic stocks: reference sets, synthetics, MARS, MAGIC,
MABC, AB-QTL & CSSL populations
 Markers for traits and QTLs
 Improved germplasm
 Methodologies and screening protocols
 Trained scientists
 DB and DM strategy in place
 Improved infrastructure

6. Genomic resources
All 4 crops:
 Development of SNP and SSR markers
 Diverse genetic maps from bi-parental and consensus
maps
 Mapped QTLs for biotic and abiotic traits and candidate
genes associated
 Physical maps
 Sequencing of their genome

7. Genetic stocks: Trait pyramiding
MARS (Marker assisted recurrent selection)
 Bean:
 1 population of ~200 lines
 Phenotyping in 2 countries (Colombia and Ethiopia)
 Cowpea:
 4 ongoing populations (~300 lines)
 IITA, Burkina Faso, Mozambique and Senegal
 Chickpea:
 2 populations
 Phenotyping in 3 countries (Ethiopia, India and Kenya)

8. Genetic stocks: Trait pyramiding
MAGIC (Multiparent advanced generation intercross)
 Beans (8 parents)
 Seed type, abiotic stress, drought adaptation, yield potential,
earliness, biotic stress
 648 lines tested for drought tolerance
 Cowpeas (8 parents)
 Yield potential under marginal conditions, abiotic and biotic
stresses
 300 lines
 Chickpeas (8 parents)
 Drought-tolerant and widely adapted germplasm, FPVs in
diverse regions, high-yielding
 1,200 lines

9. Genetic stocks
Synthetics for Groundnut
 6 synthetics developed
 Resistance to rust, LLS, ELS, seed size, yield potential
 2 populations developed
 Brazilian cultivar
 Senegalese cultivar
 Under evaluation
 2 new populations under development
 Senegalese cultivar

10. Genetic stocks
 CSSL (Chromosome segment substitution lines)
 Synthetic line x elite
 78 lines available and under multi-location phenotyping
 Several traits: drought, biotic stresses, yield components
 AB-QTL populations
 2 populations
 RIL populations
 At least 5 populations

11. Development of improved version
of local cultivars
MABC (Marker assisted backcrossing)
 Beans
 5 populations undertaken, but adaptation low so abandoned
 Cowpeas
 11 populations (BF, IITA, Mozambique, Senegal, UCR)
 Drought, biotic stress (flower thrips, Striga, nematodes and
Macrophomina phaseolina )
 Chickpeas
 11 populations (ICRISAT, India, Ethiopia, Kenya)
 Introgression of the region controlling root QTL and drought
 Groundnuts
 13 populations
 Resistance to rosette, ELS and rust

12. Development of improved cultivars
MAS (Marker assisted selection) - Bean
 Disease resistance
 Virus
 Postharvest deterioration (storage insects)
 Bacteria
 Fungus
 Insects

13. CAPACITY BUILDING AND
PARTNERSHIP

14. Development of new populations
through partnership
 For the development of CSSL and AB-QTL: EMBRAPA (Brazil)
sent synthetic lines to ISRA/CERAAS, Senegal
 ICRISAT sent synthetic lines to ISRA/CERAAS for development
of new CSSL populations
 Empowerment of NARS for development of MARS and MABC
populations under the leadership of CIAT, ICRISAT (residential
and long-duration training) and UCR (mentoring)

15. Fully or partially TL1-supported PhD and
Masters Students
Crop
Degree
programme
Number Country
Beans MSc 2 Ethiopia, Malawi
Beans PhD 5
Ethiopia, Mozambique,
South Africa, Zimbabwe
Chickpeas MSc 5 Ethiopia, Kenya
Chickpeas PhD 7 Australia,Ethiopia, Kenya
Cowpeas PhD 10
Burkina Faso, Cameroon,
Ghana, Mozambique,
Niger, Nigeria, Senegal,
USA
Groundnuts MSc 2 Mali, Tanzania
Groundnuts PhD 4 Malawi, Niger, Senegal
Total MSc 9 5
Total PhD 26 12

16. Challenges
 Organising and using phenotypic data generated on
hundreds of accessions at multiple locations for several biotic
constraints and for grain yield
 Logistics to perform good MARS (reliable phenotypic data,
large GxE effect, limited secondary traits, limited seed
production, fast genotyping turnover)
 Data analysis capacity for all teams
 Data management implemented by all teams
 Use of IBP tools by all teams
 Limited human-resource capacity in NARS in modern
breeding
 Staff turnover

17. Conclusion and perspectives
 Evolving role of partners over time with NARS now leading
several key activities with ARI and CG scientists mentors
 Successful and effective examples of technology change,
bridging the upstream–downstream research gap:
 Cowpea MARS (North South)
 Groundnut introgression line (South South)
 Chickpea MABC (South South)
 Successful proof of concept that MB can have impact on legume
productivity
 Impressive set of outputs generated
 Integration of TLI and TLII is being done, but needs to be
reinforced in the last year of the project

18. Thank you!