This document summarizes progress in breeding beans for drought tolerance in East and Southern Africa. It describes three main activities: 1) fast-track evaluation of existing bean lines on-station and on-farm, 2) breeding new drought tolerant germplasm through crosses within common bean and with wild relatives, and 3) building capacity through infrastructure, training, and student sponsorship. Key accomplishments include the evaluation of over 500 lines across multiple countries, breeding crosses developed by national programs and CIAT, and equipment and training provided to national partners to strengthen drought breeding efforts. The document highlights physiological research findings on root traits and remobilization that can guide future breeding, and the potential to introgress traits from wild relatives like tepary bean to

1. Progress in Bean Technology
Generation
for Drought Tolerance
EIAR, Ethiopia (S. Gebeyehu, T. Assefa)
KARI, Kenya (D. Karanja, D. Macharia)
DARS, Malawi (E. Mazuma)
Selian Research Station, Tanzania (S. Kweka, J. Msaky)
DR&SS, Zimbabwe (G. Makunde)
CIAT (S. Beebe, R. Chirwa, P. Kimani, J. Ricaurte)

2. Three Broad Activities
• Fast track evaluation of existing lines
– On station
– On farm
• Breeding of new drought tolerant germplasm
– CIAT
– NARS
• Capacity building
– Infrastructure
– Training of technicians
– Degree training

3. Activity 3: Capacity Building
Our Goal:
Create a network for drought
research on beans in East and
southern Africa, under the
PABRA umbrella

4. Ethiopia
-EIAR
Kenya
-KARI
-CIAT Colombia:
N. Tanzania CIAT HQ
-SARI
Malawi
-DARS
-CIAT
Zimbabwe
-DR&SS

5. Field workshops:
Kenya and Malawi,
2008
• Quantifying soil moisture
• Physiological sampling
• 13 Professionals & 15
xxxx technicians

6. Consultancy of Charles Wortmann, Ph.D.,
U. of Nebraska
Variables Site descriptions and
recommendations
• Water quality • Melkassa, Ethiopia
• Soil water holding capacity • Thika, Kenya
• Irrigation facilities • Kabete, Kenya
• Weather patterns • Katumani, Kenya
• Kiboko, Kenya
• Planting dates
• Kandiyani, Malawi
• Kasinthula, Malawi
• Chiredzi, Zimbabwe
• Selian, Tanzania
• Madiira, Tanzania

7. Equipment on site
EQUIPMENT COUNTRIES
Davis Vantage Pro2 Weather Station. ETH, KYA, MWI, TNZ, ZIM
Laptop computer “ “
Watermark soil moisture system with Meters. “ “
Sensor for Soil moisture system. “ “
Ohaus Explorer Pro Toploading Balance. “ “
Ohaus Explorer Pro Toploading Balance. “ “
Digital camera SONY DSC-H50/B “ “
ET Gauge “ “
SPAD 502DL Chlorophyll meter “ “
Soil Corers “ “
SC-1 Porometer ETH, KYA, MWI
Turf-Tec Infrared Turf Thermometer with probe “ “
Hand-held FluorPen with firmware upgrade “ “
WHINRIZO Prosoftware on CDROM “ “
Calibrate Color Optical Scanner “ “
Root positioning system for STD scanners “ “

9. Additional training, 2009
• Country-by-country training by J. Ricaurte
– March-April 2009
• On-site, hands-on use of equipment…
Country / Site Persons trained Training in
Ethiopia / 8 from Melkassa ET gage,
Melkassa Watermark irrometer,
Malawi / 6 from Kandiyani SPAD Chlorophyll meter,
Kandiyani 1 from Kasinthula Fluorpen FP100,
3 from Harare Leaf Porometer,
(Zimbabwe) Infrared Thermometer,
root sampling,
Kenya / 8 from Kabete
Kabete scanning & analysis of root
2 from Katumani
spa images
Tanzania / 4 from Selian
Selian

10. Students sponsored by TL-2*
• Berhanu Amsala (Ethiopia): U. of Pretoria, RSA
– Nitrogen fixation under drought
• Felix Waweru (Kenya): U. Nairobi, Kenya
– RILs and regional collection of TL-1
• Lizzie Kalolokesya (Malawi): U. of Zambia
– Marker assisted selection for disease resistance (with TL-1)
• Godwill Makunde (Zimbabwe): Free State U., RSA
– Analysis of TL-1 reference collection
Other students with research support of TL-2:
• Teshale Assefa (Ethiopia): U. Padua
– Drought tolerance, canning quality and bruchid resistance
• Susan Gachanja: U. Nairobi
– Physiological analysis of Fast Track nursery
(* Isaac Fandika transferred to New Zealand in 2009 under other funding)

11. Activity 1: Fast track

12. First cycle evaluations:
Katumani
Second cycle evaluations:
Multiple sites

13. Gender-
discriminated
evaluation of
lines,
Katumani

14. Farmers in Malawi instruct Scientists
in On-farm research

15. Yields (kg/ha) on 2 stations in Ethiopia
Melkassa Awassa Farmer
preferred
Stressed Irrig. Stressed Irrig.
2 G-111-48 1286 1534 775 1604 X
8 KIDNEY – Sel(F9) 9 1089 902 676 1303 X
11 NAVY LINE – 26 1237 616 640 1864
12 NAVY LINE – 47 1249 1622 635 1222
14 NAVY LINE – 60 713 1398 985 1101
18 KG – 17-13 714 1611 650 1358 X
19 GCI DRY BEAN – 18 1087 1789 1104 1326 X
20 KG – 67 – 13 923 1445 682 1664 X
21 KG – 71 – 13 1130 1977 593 1630 X
22 NEW BILFA – 45 904 1191 754 1423
24 Awash melka (Ch) 478 814 602 930
25 Nasir (Ch) 875 920 445 1450
Mean 885 1247 630 1282
LSD (0.05) 638 891 884 1119

16. Fast Track
No. Lines Men / No. sites
women
Ethiopia 9 >100 7
Kenya 216 N.A. 5
Malawi 23 62 / 62 4
Tanzania 20 6 / 13 3
Zimbabwe 120 pend 6
(20 per site)

17. Activity 2: Breeding

18. Breeding small-seeded Mesoamerican types:
Yield under Terminal Drought of Virus-Resistant Beans
(Colombia)
Yield (kg/ha) Maturity (d)
SCR 30 2389 65
SCR 2 2356 63
SCR 11 2157 63
SCR 4 2152 64
SCR 3 2134 63
SCR 16 2097 63
SER 16 (Tol. Ch.) 1951 59
Canela (Com. Ch.) 1367 64
LSD (0.05) 404

19. Commercial light red color
in Drought resistant beans
59 bc-3 lines to Africa

20. Breeding large-seeded Andean types:
KARI cv. KAT-B1

21. (KAT B1 x SAB 618) x (SAB 623 x SAB 627)

22. Yield data of Andean lines in Colombia,
January, 2009
SAB lines Control Genotypes
A - Red beans Calima - Red Mottled bean
B - White beans Quimbaya - Red bean
C - Red mottled beans Cos16 - Cream Striped bean
2600
D - Cream Striped beans Aba36 - White bean 629
E - Various beans 691
659 626
692 684
Quimbaya 694 631
650 693
646
618 645 686
641 657 Quimbaya 702
640 616 627 683
2100 658 649 685 690
651 638 630 628
652
Yield (Kg/Ha)
660 682 696
642 647 681 687
639 656
Calima 637 624
617 648
679 663 COS16 695
653 664 Cos16 625
644 662 701 Calima
675 710 643 689 698
661 688 700
1600 671 709 711 619 560
680 622
678 621 712 708 633
623 670 707 713
677 654 697 733
735 736
674 738 737 655 632 699
673 667
672 Calima 705 719
676 732 Quimbaya 704 726
665 718 Aba36 Quimbaya
Quimbaya 620
669
706 716
634 717 727
666 668 714 703 720 739
1100 734 715 729 721
724
731 730
Cos16 Calima 725
728 723
722
Cos16
A B C D E
600
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

23. Local selection in National Breeding programs:
Crosses Generated by EIAR-Melkassa*
Capsula x A. melka NASIR x SER‐128 Chore x SAB‐713
Capsula x SAB‐712 NASIR x SER‐78 Chore x MEX‐142
Capsula x SAB‐713 A. melka x MEX‐142 Dimtu x SER‐176
Capsula x VAX‐3 Awash melka x VAX‐3 Dimtu x SER‐128
Capsula x COS‐16 Awash‐1 x MEX‐142 Dimtu x SER‐78
NASIR x SER‐16 Awash‐1 x VAX‐3 Wolayita x SER‐176
NASIR x SEA‐5 Cherchere x MEX‐142 Wolayita x SER‐128
NASIR x BAT‐477 Cherchere x VAX‐3 Wolayita x SER‐78
NASIR x RAZ‐44 Cherchere x BAT‐477 Awash‐1 x G 21212
NASIR x SER‐176 Chore x SAB‐712
* 4-parent double crosses are planned

24. Local selection in National Breeding programs:
52 Crosses sent from CIAT
• Drought resistance
– CIAT selections
– Regional selections
• Commercial colors
• Disease and pest resistance
– Bacterial blight, storage pests

25. Local selection in National Breeding programs:
• Ph.D. thesis (Teshale Assefa):
• Cross planned specifically for Ethiopia
• Local selection
• Commercial quality
• Application of water management – managed
stress
• On station evaluation of lines by farmers

26. Phenotypic evaluation of 81 bean genotypes
under drought stress
(Melkassa, Ethiopia)
2008 2009
Grain yield, Drought (kg / ha)
Grain Yield, Irrigated (kg / ha)

27. Local selection in other countries
• Kenya:
– 15 F2 and 48 F4 from CIAT
– Parental material sent
• Tanzania:
– 5 F2 from CIAT
• Malawi:
– 21 F2 and 59 F4 from CIAT
• Zimbabwe
– F5 from previous M.Sc. Thesis

28. Drought Science
What have we learned?

29. Physiological parameters
o
o
o
o
o
Pod Partitioning Index Pod Harvest Index
(Pod biomass / Shoot biomass @ mid pod fill) (Grain / Total pod biomass)
X 100 X 100

30. Root length, km m-2 in terminal drought
on a fertile soil
(resistant)
(susceptible)
Total stress 1.02
stress: 1.02
Total stress 1.34
stress: 1.34
Total control: 1.24 Total control: 0.88
Drought stressed
Irrigated control

31. The Riddle of Roots
• A common denominator of much abiotic stress resistance
– Access to moisture and nutrients
– Resistance to aluminum
• But too many roots shift the balance toward vegetative
growth
VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTIVE
• Shoots
• Roots
• This results in poor SINK STRENGTH
…a fundamental problem for improving bean

32. What is new in breeding?

33. Gene pools of Common Bean
P. vulgaris
P. vulgaris
Tertiary pool
Mesoamerican Andean
P. acutifolius
Primary pool
P. coccineus - P. dumosus
P. costaricensis P. parvifolius
Secondary pool
P. lunatus
= Wild and cultivated forms

34. SER 16 = Good remobilization P. coccineus
Drought Watered Drought Watered
New
sources of
X
root traits
from
Interspecific
crosses:
Variability in
root systems
Interspecific Progeny
Drought Watered

35. Tepary bean
(Phaseolus acutifolius)
• Early, rapid root penetration
• Thin, long roots
• Stomatal control for WUE
• Unambiguous shift from
vegetative to reproductive
growth
• Efficient remobilization to
grain
• Tolerant to high temperatures

36. Crosses with Tepary:
introgression by congruity backcross
(P.vulgaris x xxxx
xx P.acutifolius)
X
P.v.
X P.a.
P.v.
X P.a.
Interspecific Commercial Check

37. Looking ahead
• Good progress with one stress
(drought)
• Do we need a different ideotype with
multiple stress?
– Low fertility + Drought

38. 36 Mesoamerican genotypes under
Drought + Low P
• Level of P: 15 kg / ha
• Rainfall distribution:

39. SXB 412 (1257 kg/ha) vs Tio Canela (709 kg/ha)

40. Yield under Combined P and Drought Stress
Line Yield (kg/ha) DTF DTM Grain fill (d)
SXB 412 1257 41 79 38
NCB 226 Drought res., 1206 33 74 41
SXB 409
Low P tol. 1187 40 82 42
SXB 405 1175 39 79 40
PEROLA 1170 46 83 37
DOR 390 1140 46 87 41
A 774 1042 39 79 40
SER 118 936 39 79 40
CARIOCA 730 42 82 40
TIO CANELA 75 709 46 83 37
SEA 15 Drought res., 625 34 76 43
SEN 56 Low P susc. 563 32 75 43
SEA 5 379 34 73 39
G 40001-P. acutifolius 190 37 76 39
LSD (0.05) 266 2.5 3.1

41. An ideotype for combined stress
Phys.
Planting Flowering Mat. Harvest
Slightly Decisive Quick
longer shift to dry
vegetative reproductive down
phase for phase, for
biomass drought
resistance

42. CAL 143 – standard cultivar in
southern Africa
• Released in 5
countries
• Late to pod
• Large
biomass
• Rustic,
excellent in
poor soil
CAL 143 under terminal drought in
Colombia

43. (CAL143 x SAB 620) x SAB 626

44. Drought Science: CIAT and Partners
Ethiopia
-Breeding
C. Afr. Republic -Physiology
-Quality lab CIAT HQ
Mali ? Kenya -TL-1 lab work
-Training
Burkina F. -Expl. breeding
-Breeding
efforts (e.g., testing
Rwanda Burundi parentals)
Togo
N. Tanzania -Pre-breeding
S. Tanzania (interspecifics)
Malawi -Physiology
Zambia -Training
-Breeding
Zimbabwe Mozambique

45. Lessons learned
• Remobilization is an important trait that
complements deep rooting and contributes to
drought resistance
• Multiple stress of drought with low P or high Al
might require a different ideotype.
– Lines from the Malawi program did especially well
after selection in poor soil.
• Interspecific crosses may offer variability for root
traits, high temperature, or other traits.
• Bean stem maggot resistance is also a desirable
trait to combine with drought resistance.

46. Lessons learned
• Early farmer involvement is totally feasible
• Field training in physiology and nursery
management has been well received by
partners
• A regional platform is in place for
systematic drought research

47. Phase 2 Plans
• Broaden geographic scope
– More countries in E-S Africa
– West Africa (after diagnostics)
• Test strategies for multiple stress
• Explore potential of traits from runner
bean and tepary (and tepary per se!)
• Integrate selection criteria into drought
breeding
– Pod harvest index
– Molecular markers from TL-1

48. Phase 2 Plans
• Address biotic problems of drought areas
– Implement markers from TL-1 for resistance
– Disease management strategies
– Initiate crosses of drought x BSM
• Pursue canning quality in selected lines
• Revisit cross-crop targeting and
cooperation
• Capacity building
– Finish Ph.D. theses
– Field training for new comers
– Only modest capital

49. Presentations
• National Bean Congress. Zacatecas, Mexico,
5-7 Aug., 2009.
• 14th Australasian Plant Breeding & 11th Society
for Advancement in Breeding Research in Asia &
Oceania Conference. Cairns, Australia. 10-14
Aug. 2009
• Interdrought Conference. Shanghai, China. Oct.
2009

50. • Thank you

51. Seed of an interspecific progeny vs
P. acutifolius
P. acutifolius
Commercial
check
INB 841