Breeding runner bean for short‐day adaptation, grain yield, and disease resistance in eastern Africa
Abstract
Runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.), also known as butter bean in Kenya, is a
high value vegetable and grain crop traditionally grown in high altitudes (>1,800 m)
of eastern Africa for domestic consumption and processing. However, it has not
received attention from breeders. Consequently, farmers rely on low‐yielding landraces which are susceptible to diseases. Available long‐day vegetable type varieties
are poorly adapted to tropical conditions. In 2005, a regional program was initiated
at the University of Nairobi to develop tropically adapted short‐day varieties with
better agronomic potential to meet both producer and consumer requirements. The
objective of this study was to determine the agronomic potential of advanced grain‐
type runner bean lines selected from populations derived from crosses between local
landraces and long‐day European varieties. Fifty lines were selected from 139 F6.8
lines based on their previous performance at Kabete Field Station and Ol Joro Orok
in 2012 and 2013. The 50 lines were evaluated at both sites during the 2014 long
rain season. The best 20 lines from both sites were further evaluated for agronomic
characteristics, disease resistance, and yield. Results showed considerable variation
for duration to flowering (40–55 days at three different sites), plant vigor, racemes
per plant, reaction to diseases, and grain yield. The crop was extremely vigorous
in Naivasha due to supplementary irrigation and fertilization regimes. The results
indicated that new high‐yielding grain runner bean varieties with resistance to major
diseases and tropical adaptation can contribute to improved productivity, food and
nutritional security, and resilient livelihoods in the region, and regular supply of raw
materials for the canning industry
URI
https://profiles.uonbi.ac.ke/kimanipm/publications/kimani-pm-s-njau-m-mulanya-and-rd-narla-2019-breeding-runner-bean-short-day-adhttp://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/155676
Citation
"Kimani, P.M., S. Njau, M. Mulanya and R.D. Narla. 2019. Breeding runner bean for short-day adaptation, grain yield a, and resistance to diseases in eastern Africa. J. Energy and Food Security, 2019; 00:e171. https: doi.org/10.1002/fes3.171 [April 2019], p.". 2019.Publisher
University of Nairobi
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United StatesUsage Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/Collections
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