Presented by Macharia R.D., Karanja R.D. and Nguluu S. at the First Bio-Innovate Regional Scientific Conference, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 25-27 February 2013

1. PARTICIPATORY EVALUATION OF COMMON
BEAN GENOTYPES FOR ADAPTATION AND
YIELD POTENTIAL IN DROUGHT-PRONE
AREAS OF KENYA
Macharia R. D; Karanja R. D and Nguluu S.
First Bio-Innovate Regional Scientific Conference
United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC-ECA)
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 25-27 February 2013

2. Partners involved
 Kenya Agricultural Research Institute,
 Ministry of Agriculture (extension staff in
Project sites)
 Trufoods Limited
 CLUSA International
 Smart Logistics
 Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services

3. Rationale
 Little work has been done to develop improved bean
varieties that combine tolerance to abiotic and biotic
stresses with canning quality
Mexican 142 – ruling varieties despite susceptibility to
drought and diseases (Bred and released in1950s)
 Presence of processing industry in Kenya (Import raw
materials from neighboring country by brokers)
 Change in eating habits; Plant v animal based protein)
 High demand v supply

4. Rationale cont’d
 Provide an alternative and relay crop in maize
and wheat growing areas
 Lack of stakeholders’ involvement may
contribute to rejection of new cultivars or very
low adoption rates
 Cultivars developed with stakeholders are
more likely to be disseminated, adopted faster
and have higher impact than those developed
in formal systems

5. Objective
Evaluate the common bean genotypes for
adaptation and yield performance in
drought-prone environments of Kenya

6. Breeding Beans for Processing Industry
• Initial working collection of 250 genotypes constituted
• Representative of major market class of Andean and
Mesoamerican gene pools.
• Evaluated at Kiboko under stress and no stress conditions
• 111 lines were selected for participatory on-farm across AEZs
evaluation and further shoot traits related to drought resistance.
• Evaluated in five on-farm sites (Itoloni, ngongoni, Ntulele,
Olepolos, and moidabi) and two on-station sites (Kiboko and
Katumani
6

7. Summary of Advanced Lines and Yield potential
on-station
Seed type Average Yield (Kg/ha) • New Drought
tolerant lines were
Non Stress Rainfed better yielding
stress than the checks.
Red Mottled 20 1689.6 988.9 936.2 • Most genotypes
give higher yields
than the national
Red Kidney 18 2169.8 892.8 957.2
average (>500
Small and 20 2038.1 772.4 1011.3 kg/ha) under
Medium Reds stress and rainfed
conditions.
Small white 22 2265.1 1107.9 1437.6
Mixed Colours 21 2590.5 1292.2 1263.5

8. On-Farm Average Yield across sites in
2012 LR
Seed type Average Yield
(Kg/ha)
• With proper
Red Mottled 19 1163.9
choice of
Red Kidney 17 1028.2 good lines
Small and Medium 9 1321.1 from the new
Reds nurseries
Small white 22 1537.5 yield
Mixed Colours 20 1363.5 advantage of
KAT x 69* 715.3 <10% have
KAT x 56* 650.2 been realized.
KAT B9* 583.6
KAT B1* 432.5

9. Participatory selection for drought tolerance
•Gender
disaggregated
•Ribbon method
used to select the
preferred and non-
preferred lines.
•Probing to
understand the
criteria for and
against

10. Participatory Variety
Selection Cont’d
• Key traits for farmers:
• Yield
• Drought tolerance
• Earliness
• Uniformity in Maturity
• Growth habit
• Non shattering

11. Participatory Variety Selection Cont,d
After three cycles of selection Site Male Female Total
12 lines (5 small whites, 4 red Olepolos 18 13 31
mottled, 1 red kidney and 2
small reds) have been selected Ntulele 63 14 77
Ngiito 14 9 23
Planted together with the four
commercial checks for AYT Mai Mahiu 9 4 13
Nguutani 18 9 27
With the results from on-
station AYT at least 3 lines Kambi ya 23 20 43
combing high yield, drought Mawe
tolerance and industrial canning
quality will be submitted for Total 145 69 214
National Performance Trial in
the coming season

12. On-going activities
Advanced yield trials.
Elite lines multiplication for
industrial canning quality testing at
Trufoods Ltd.

13. Acknowledgements
Government of Kenya
BioInnovate/SIDA
TRUFOODS LTD
CLUSA International
Ministry of Agriculture
Farmer Groups