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Rapid-Cooking Bean Project

Rapid Cooking Bean - Alliance Bioversity International - CIAT

The 'Rapid breeding for reduced cooking time and enhanced nutritional quality in common beans' project utilizes advanced breeding technologies - including pedigree selection, genomic selection and optimal contribution selection (OCS) - to accelerate the development of common bean varieties that cook at least 30% faster and contain 15% more iron and 10% more zinc than traditional varieties.

Project Name (full): Rapid breeding for reduced cooking time and enhanced nutritional quality in common bean

Geographic area, countries: Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda

Funders: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)

Partners: The project is in partnership between The University of Western Australia, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance, co-implemented by the National Agricultural Research Institutes of Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

Project Description

This project aims to deliver new genotypes of common bean with 30% shorter cooking time, 15% higher iron and 10% higher zinc content than current varieties, and to train African plant breeders in a new rapid method of plant breeding (BRÍO) based on optimal mating designs.

Explore more about the project

Rapid Cooking Bean - Alliance Bioversity International - CIAT - Image 1

Project Activities

  • Integration of new breeding method, BRÍO into the Alliance's Uganda bean breeding program
  • Selection for yield, bruchid resistance, disease resistance, drought tolerance and other important traits
  • Selection of improved lines through regional trials at six PABRA project partners
  • Selection of gender-specific traits through participatory variety selection (PVS) in each partner country
  • Promotion of improved lines through PABRA Wider Impact Initiative (WII) and Bean Corridors approach
  • Training modules to facilitate integration of BRÍO in the breeding program

Coordinating Team

Name Project role Institution Location
Professor Wallace A Cowling Project Leader The University of Western Australia Australia
Dr Clare Mukankusi Project Coordinator The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (Pan Africa Bean Research Alliance; PABRA) Uganda
Mr Jean-Claude Rubyogo Project Advisor The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (Pan Africa Bean Research Alliance; PABRA) Kenya
Professor Kadambot Siddique Project Advisor The University of Western Australia Australia
Ms Winnyfred Amongi Project Research Associate The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (Pan Africa Bean Research Alliance; PABRA) Uganda
Dr Renu Saradadevi Project Research Associate The University of Western Australia Australia

Key Project Members

Name Institution Location
Dr Teshale Mamo Assefa East & Central Africa Bean Research Network Tanzania
Dr Stanley Nkalubo National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) Uganda
Dr Reuben Otsyula Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), Kakamega Kenya
Julius Mbiu Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Maruku Tanzania
Annuarite Uwera Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) Rwanda
Eric Nduwarugira Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Burundi (ISABU) Burundi
Dr Berhanu Fenta Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Melkassa Ethiopia

Relevant blogs, stories, news coverage

Project leaders

Jean Claude Rubyogo

Leader, Global Bean Program, and Director, Pan Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA)

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