Immediate impacts of COVID-19 measures on bean production, distribution, and food security in Eastern Africa

The outbreak of coronavirus was expected to adversely affect African countries more than any other region in the world. This assertion was based on the existing conditions in sub-Saharan Africa that exposed the region to the dire consequences of the pandemic. Previously existing underlying conditions that affected the food system include a high dependence on trade for inputs supply, the adverse effects of climate change, crop pests and diseases, poverty, low input use, weak institutions and ineffective poli¬cies, and insecurity and conflicts. We collected data from farmers, aggregators, bean research coordina¬tors, and urban and peri-urban consumers in five Eastern African countries in order to describe the immediate impacts of the pandemic on the bean value chain. Access to seed and labor appear to be the most critical impacts of the pandemic on bean production. There are observable differences in patterns and frequency of bean consumption in these regions, suggesting that the effect of the pandemic depends on the level of implementation of containment measures and pre–COVID-19 underlying conditions that affect the food systems. In the mid to long-term, the pandemic may disrupt food systems, resulting in hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity. Thus, governments should support farmers and businesses in becoming resilient to exogenous shocks through increased efficiency in supply chains, capacity building, and the adoption of modern digital technology.

Historical Review of Faba Bean Improvement in Western Canada

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) was considered a minor crop in the Canadian prairies until recently, but its potential for cultivation is increasing due to its positive environmental impact and economic value. This review provides a historical summary of faba bean improvement in western Canada. Although traditional breeding methods have proved useful, in the last decade faba bean improvement has benefited from advances in genetics, biochemistry and molecular breeding tools. The overall breeding goal is to develop high yielding germplasm with improved agronomic characteristics that will be of economic value to the emerging faba bean sectors, including the plant protein industry. To maximize value and acceptance by producers, processors and the food industry as a source of protein and dietary fibre, future faba bean varieties need to be high-yielding, have diverse seed size classes, disease resistance, genetically low vicine-convicine concentration, and have wider adaptation to different agro-ecological zones of Canada. The experiences over the last 40 years of faba bean improvement in western Canada may be useful to other breeding programs globally located in regions with similar agroecology. In the past 10–15 years, faba bean genetic development in Canada has benefited greatly from research and development interactions with most of the faba bean research programs in northern Europe.

Iron Concentrations in Biofortified Beans and Nonbiofortified Marketplace Varieties in East Africa Are Similar

ABSTRACT Background The predominant bean iron (Fe) biofortification approach is to breed for high Fe concentration and assumes the average Fe concentration is 50 μg/g. This approach also assumes that a 40 μg/g increase is sustainable and Fe bioavailability will not decrease to negate the increase in Fe. Objective The overall objective was to determine if bean Fe biofortification via breeding for high Fe is producing beans with higher Fe concentration relative to nonbiofortified lines found in the East Africa marketplace. Methods Seventy-six marketplace samples (East Africa Marketplace Collection; EAMC), and 154 genotypes known to be representative of the marketplace were collected from breeders in the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (designated the East Africa Breeder Collection; EABC). Within the EAMC and EABC were 18 and 35 samples, respectively, that were released as biofortified lines. All samples were measured for Fe concentration. The Caco-2 cell bioassay assessed Fe bioavailability of the EAMC. Biofortified versus nonbiofortified samples were compared by the appropriate t-test or ANOVA. Results The Fe concentration of the 58 nonbiofortified EAMC lines was (mean ± SD [range]) 71 ± 9 μg/g (52–93 μg/g) which did not differ significantly from the 18 biofortified EAMC varieties (71 ± 11 μg/g [55–94 μg/g]). The Fe concentration of the 119 nonbiofortified EABC varieties was 66 ± 7 μg/g (51–90 μg/g) which was significantly different (P < 0.0001) from the 35 EABC biofortified lines (73 ± 9 μg/g [60–91 μg/g]). However, the EABC biofortified lines were not different from the nonbiofortified EAMC samples. In the Caco-2 cell bioassay, biofortified EAMC varieties did not deliver more Fe compared with nonbiofortified EAMC varieties. Conclusions The assumptions of the high Fe bean biofortification approach are not met in the East African marketplace. Iron concentration and bioavailability measurement indicate the biofortified bean varieties are providing no additional dietary Fe.

Peran Competitive Advantage Dalam Pengembangan Agrowisata Abian Salak Di Kabupaten Karangasem

The purpose of this study is to increase the competitive advantage of Abian Salak Agro Tourism in Karangasem Regency . Bali is famous for its cultural tourism . Bali is also developing Agro-tourism as an alternative tourism . To be superior and compete , in the development of this tourism industry can not be separated from the creativity and innovation of the managers . Abian Salak Agro Tourism has made innovations in creating coffee products from Salak beans given the brand Salacca Coffee Bean . Research carried out by the method of qualitative descriptive . The competitive advantage of Abian Salak Agro Tourism is its unique fruit bark and product coffee from beans Salak are qualified

PENGARUH PENAMBAHAN SARI BUAH NAGA MERAH (Hylocereus polyrhizus) TERHADAP KARAKTERISTIK YOGHURT CAMPURAN SUSU SAPI DAN KACANG MERAH (Phaseolus vulgaris)

The aim of this research was to know the effect of adding red dragon fruit juice (RDFJ) for the characteristics of yoghurt mixed milk and red bean. Research design used a randomized complete design (RAL) with the concentration 0 %, 5 %, 10 %, 15 %, 20 %, and 25 % of RDFJ. Each treatment repeated three times to obtain 18 units of sample. The data was analyzed by ANOVA and if it had effect on variabel then continued by Duncan Test. Sensory was analyzed by hedonic and scoring test for color, flavor, taste, texture and overall acceptance of the resulting product using 15 trained panelists. The result showed that adding RDFJ had very significant effects (P < 0,01) for total acid, Vitamin C, antioxidant activity, total lactic acid bacteria (BAL) and had significant effect (P < 0,05) for pH. The best treatment was on 15 % of RDFJ with value 1.22 % of total lactic acid, 4.41 of pH, 1.11 mg/100g of Vitamin C, 48.40 % of antioxidant activity, 1.87 x 108 CFU/ml of total lactic acid bacteria (BAL), color (red and liked), flavor (pleasant and liked), taste (sour and liked), texture (aqueous) and overall acceptance (liked).

Major constraints and trends for common bean production and commercialization; establishing priorities for future research

In order to identify the principal constraints and trends for common bean production and commercialization and the priorities for future common bean research in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), a priority setting process was developed at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). The results suggested that the principal research included breeding and selecting for several traits, such as drought tolerance and water use efficiency, improved yields, and consumer acceptance (improved cooking time and desired texture after cooking). Additionally, the results of the priority setting process suggested that institutional measures are needed, such as improving formal seed production and distribution channels and the development of national and regional seed policies. On the other hand, the identified principal constraints included diseases, pests, and market constraints. Finally, the identified principal trends were: increase in demand and production, and development of high-yield varieties and improvement in nutritional quality.

Common beans, biodiversity, and multiple stresses: challenges of drought resistance in tropical soils

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the grain legume with the highest volume of direct human consumption in the world, and is the most important legume throughout Eastern and Southern Africa, cultivated over an area of ~4 million ha. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) drought is the most important production risk, potentially affecting as much as one-third of the production area. Both terminal and intermittent drought prevail in different production regions. The Pan-African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), coordinated by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT by its Spanish acronym), has participated in projects for both strategic and applied research to address drought limitations, with research sites in six SSA countries. Bean originated in the mid-altitude neo-tropics, and by its nature is not well adapted to warm, dry climates. Efforts at genetic improvement of drought resistance have a long history, exploiting variability among races of common bean, as well as through interspecific crosses. Useful traits are found both in roots and in shoots. Many authors have stressed the importance of harvest index and related parameters to sustain yield of common bean under drought stress, and our field studies substantiate this. Additionally, in tropical environments, soil-related constraints can seriously limit the potential expression of drought resistance, and it is especially important to address multiple stress factors to confront drought effectively in farmers’ fields. Poor soil fertility is widespread in the tropics and constrains root and shoot growth, thus limiting access to soil moisture. Phosphorus and nitrogen deficiencies are especially common, but are not the only limiting soil factors. Soil acidity and accompanying aluminium toxicity limit root development and inhibit access to moisture in lower soil strata. Soil physical structure can also limit root development in some soils, as can poor soil management that leads to compaction. We review efforts to address each of these constraints through genetic means in combination with drought resistance per se.

Use of local rice cultivars as additional differentials to identify pathotypes of Pyricularia oryzae

Eight additional rice cultivars as differentials were selected to identify pathotypes occurring in the Tocantins State. They were BRS Jaburu, BRS Taim, BRS Biguá, BR IRGA-417, Epagri 109, Javaé, Metica-1 and Supremo. These differentials were used in addition to the international set to determine the pathogenic diversity of 193 Pyricularia oryzae isolates collected during 1994-2002 from irrigated rice cultivars. They were conserved in Pyricularia culture collection of Embrapa Rice and Bean Research center. From 193 P. oryzae isolates 38 pathotypes were identified based on leaf blast reactions of international set and 29 pathotypes based on these additional differentials. The predominant pathotypes (TI-1, TG-2, TD-15 and TF-2) were represented by 53% of the tested isolates. The major international pathotypes (IB-45, IB-41, II-1 and ID-13) were represented by 43% of the isolates tested. The virulence pattern of 28 isolates belonging to the pathotype IB-45 was further differentiated into nine local pathotypes using additional set of differentials. The irrigated rice cultivars used as additional differentials serve as complementary set to identify pathotypes of interest for breeding blast resistant cultivars for Tocantins State.

Aplicación de metodologías participativas para el mejoramiento genético de frijol en Honduras.

Even though it is recognized that traditional plant breeding approaches have been effective on increasing yields and solving pest problems that limit crop production, it is still argued that the levels of adoption, and expected impacts, have been limited. Small farmers who produced most of the basic grains are included under this context; they do not posses the resources to change their environment to obtain the yield responses that are expected from improved varieties with higher potential. However, in the case of beans in Central America, improved varieties developed by conventional plant breeding methods have been valuable in reducing the dissemination of diseases that could have caused severe yield reductions in the region, i.e. bean golden yellow mosaic. Participatory plant breeding (PPB), which involves an active farmer participation in the development of varieties for specific adaptation, is an alternative for increasing the access and adoption of improved varieties by small farmers who have limited access to improved technologies and/or use low inputs. In Central America, already exists some initiatives of PPB in bean and maize crops; regarding with these initiatives, the interests and expectations of farmers, organizations and donors have increased recently. This publication intents to provide some guidelines on the application of PPB approaches for the genetic improvement of the common bean; it is based in the experience obtained by breeders of the Bean Research Program of Zamorano, during the first two years of a project conducted in collaboration with technical personnel of a nongovernmental organization and farmers from various communities of Yorito and the Lago Yojoa in Honduras.