Research Project To Breed Beans Resistant To Climate Stresses
November 6, 2013
A trial of drought-tolerant beans was conducted in Columbia. Climate change may intensify environmental stresses, reducing yields of beans and other staple crops.
Photo credit: Neil Palmer, CIAT (International Center for Tropical Agriculture)
An international team led by Jonathan Lynch, professor of plant nutrition in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, will establish the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Climate-Resilient Beans. With support from a $5 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the project will use novel techniques to accelerate breeding programs for the common bean designed to bestow traits that can increase yield under heat and drought stress.
Feed the Future is the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative. With a focus on smallholder farmers, particularly women, this security initiative supports partner countries in developing their agriculture sectors to stimulate economic growth and trade to increase incomes and reduce hunger.
The common bean is a staple food in the diet of millions of people around the globe. But environmental stresses such as heat, drought, and low soil fertility — often made worse by climate change — limit yields in many regions of the developing world, contributing to hunger and poverty.
Researchers plan to develop bean plants that can produce higher yields under harsh conditions, hoping these new varieties will be accepted among women, families, and smallholder farmers.
To read the full story from Penn State News, click here.
Source: Penn State News, Chuck Gill
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