Duration: 10/01/2000 to 09/30/2005

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

Statement of Issues and Justification

I. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:

More efficient procedures are needed to transfer desirable traits to avoid unwanted phenotypic alterations often associated with conventional breeding strategies in plants. Although backcrossing is often used to transfer a single gene (or a few genes), breeders frequently cannot completely recover the phenotypic expression of the recurrent parent. Molecular biology techniques provide a tool to manipulate individual DNA sequences.

Relative to cereal grains, beans have low yields and suffer from several limitations. While the world average yield is 600 kg/ha, yields in the U.S. range from 100 kg/ha in the Upper Midwest to 2200 kg/ha in the Pacific Northwest. Problems affecting beans include susceptibility to many diseases, reduced productivity due to environmental stresses, reduced digestibility from antinutritional factors, and poor utilization of seed proteins. These problems are amenable to genetic solutions; however, it often is difficult to identify and incorporate appropriate traits. On a global scale, genetic diversity does not seem to be lacking, but the germplasm base in the U. S. is narrow (McClean, et al., 1993) with restricted exchange between temperate and tropical germplasm pools. In addition, some useful traits are available only by utilizing related species, such as P. ciccineus and P. acutifolius, or through genetic engineering technology.

Economic productivity can be increased by selecting genotypes with superior morphological characteristics. For example, yields can be improved if plants direct more photosynthate into seeds, due to either increased light penetration in the canopy, higher net CO2 fixation, or improved remobilization of stored carbon during periods of stress. This requires identification of genes controlling photosynthate partitioning and yield stability. Cultivars also must be disease-resistant, wholesome, with desirable culinary and nutritional qualities. Changes in nutritional guidelines and culinary habits portend a promise to increase domestic bean consumption.

II. JUSTIFICATION:

Extent of Problem

Some of the major factors affecting bean yield are: daylength, temperature, moisture, partitioning and remobilization of photosynthates, disease and insect pests, mineral deficiencies and toxicity and air pollutants. Although daylength and temperature strongly control maturation, the physiological basis underlying these mechanisms is not yet fully understood. More needs to be learned about the genetic processes that regulate adaptation, and about the genetic control of days to flowering and partitioning. Plant diseases can markedly decrease yield and can affect seed appearance and characteristics associated with quality. Consumers reject blemished and discolored pods and beans. Low yields often mean growers of beans are at a competitive disadvantage with growers of cereals and other foods. Moreover, there are additional losses if beans are unacceptable for purchase and consumption. The increased awareness of the nutritional value of beans in the diet should increase consumer demand.

Gastrointestinal discomfort, including flatulence and diarrhea, is the single most important factor that limits the consumption of dry beans in the diets of American consumers. The intestinal discomfort associated with eating beans is caused by microbial fermentation of particular compounds in the seed that pass into the lower gastrointestinal tract undigested. Factors that may limit digestibility and reduce the nutritional quality of food legumes include complexing of protein with natural polymers such as heat stable trypsin inhibitors, phytates, soluble dietary fiber and flavonoid compounds. Such reactants limit the bioavailability of nutrients and, thus, limit the nutritional potential derived from eating dry beans. It is not clear how flavonoids, fiber, and other complex carbohydrates interact in the bean seed to limit digestibility; however, there is good evidence suggesting that macromolecules form complexes in the seed. These complexes are genotype, post harvest age and storage environment dependent and are resistant to break down by digestive enzymes and/or inhibit the digestive enzyme themselves. Before digestibility can be improved through genetic intervention or food processing technology, a knowledge base needs to be established concerning the genetic and internal controls that restrict break down of bean seed reserve proteins and carbohydrates and render these important bionutrients unavailable in human diets. Studies of interactions between proteins, fiber and other carbohydrates, and flavonoids will provide the means to improve the digestibility of beans through genetic intervention and food processing technology.

Conventional breeding techniques and selection have been used to improve bean varieties. However, gene transfer promises to be the best method to improve disease, insect, and herbicide resistance; improve nutritional composition of bean; improve ease of cooking; and reduce flatulence. Additional research is warranted to identify the appropriate molecular genetic and biotechnological techniques that are required.

Need and Advantages of a Cooperative Approach

Since its initial approval in 1977, W-150 has established a rich history of procedures that are vital to a successful collaborative plant improvement project. The development and composition of the current revision was accomplished by the formation of three committees comprised of participants in the project. Each committee was composed of scientists with an expertise and interest in each of the three stated objectives. Each objective and subsequent supporting procedure was agreed upon by the membership of the regional committee. The planning was accomplished by joint input and consensus with collaboration as the vehicle by which the objectives were to be achieved.

No single research program or agency can conduct all the research necessary to improve beans as a food source. For example, the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA allocates 4.5 scientific years (SY) to in house research on beans under the aegis of National Programs 301, 302, 303, 306, and 107. Additional resources are required to solve the production, disease, and food?quality problems that currently limit the consumption of beans in human diets.
These resources can be provided by a comprehensive approach involving regional collaboration to maintain germplasm and pathogen strains, exchange samples of seeds, pathogens and insects, pool information and equipment, and exchange research data. A coordinated effort
will make the most efficient use of genetic resources and avoid duplication of research efforts.

Related, Current and Previous Work

A CRIS survey conducted by USD?SCSREES, Washington, D.C., identified 416 projects in the U.S. directed toward P. vulgaris. Among these, 216 projects concerning dry beans (code 1211) and 155 projects concerning green/wax beans (code 1212) were identified. These projects address breeding and genetics problems, germplasm screening and enhancement, development and use of molecular markers, and use of recombinant DNA techniques. The projects address several problem areas, e.g., heat and drought stress, nitrogen fixation, pest resistance or protein digestibility, and high and stable yield through interspecific hybrids that should contribute to the overall improvement of P. vulgaris.

Bean research on a national and international basis is also conducted through a Bean/Cowpea Collaborative Research Support Program (B/C CRSP), a research and training partnership involving U.S. land grant universities, agricultural institutions in Africa and Latin America, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). As of December 1999, eight of the twelve B/C CRSP projects involved bean research. The focus of this research was on insects, diseases, plant responses, physical environment, production, consumption and economics, food quality, nutrition and health, and research education and training capabilities. These projects concern developing superior disease-resistant, drought?tolerant, high?yielding cultivars; using molecular techniques to characterize the viruses that cause bean golden mosaic virus; developing insect pathogens as pest management tools on small farms; characterizing rust and other fungal and bacterial pathogens; improvement in bean productivity by altering daylength and temperature sensitivities; improving the food value of beans; investigating genetic diversity among landraces; studying the coadaptation of pathogens and the host cultivar; and ascertaining the socio-economic impact of growing disease, insect and stress resistant bean cultivars on smallholder farm families.

Collaboration among members of the B/C CRSP and the W-150 is close, with many members participating in both groups. This close working arrangement has allowed for a liberal flow of germplasm between B/C CRSP participants and members of the regional project, resulting in broadening the genetic base of bean cultivars worldwide. Because of the international scope of the B/C CRSP, there is in the W-150 a renewed awareness of the pathogenic variability present worldwide and the ability to be proactive in the U.S. to breed for resistance to potential new races/strains of common pathogens. Also, this close arrangement with the B/C CRSP allows W-150 participants to utilize beneficial material identified by the B/C CRSP participants for improved biotic and abiotic resistance, yield, and culinary quality. For example, research conducted by the B/C CRSP has provided U.S. snap bean breeders with sources of resistance and molecular markers to breed for resistance to Bean Golden Mosaic Virus in snap bean production region in South Florida. Also, B/C CRSP breeding programs in Central America have extensively utilized multiple disease resistance germplasm with pyramided rust resistance genes, which were developed through research efforts by W-150 participants.

Attaining these research objectives should lead to techniques or germplasm suited for local conditions. Most of the constraints listed in the B/C CRSP projects are important to specific countries, although some concern affect all locations where beans are grown and utilized. Duplication of research efforts will be avoided through the participation of the various investigators in W?150.

Objectives

1. Maximize Productivity and Global Competitiveness
   
2. Improve Abiotic and Biotic Stress Management Strategies through a Combination of Classical and biotechnological Approaches
   
3. Elucidate Genetic Controls for Food Quality and Value Added Components
   
4. 
   

Methods

Measurement of Progress and Results

Outputs

• OBJECTIVE 1: Maximize Productivity and Global Competitiveness. Development of an efficient germplasm conversion program in Phaseolus to exploit the unique variability present in the cultivated tropical germplasm and related wild species. Potential to increase cross pollination as the first step in the development of hybrid beans. The four nurseries, National Cooperative, Midwest Performance, Modeling and Winter Nurseries form the basis for the strong collaborative effort within the W-150. These nurseries will continue to contribute valuable information and germplasm vital to the future improvement of beans in the U.S. OBJECTIVE 2: Improve Abiotic and Biotic Stress Management Strategies through a Combination of Classical and Biotechnological Approaches. Identify wild gerrnplasm with increased levels of resistance to white mold, common blight, Fusarium root rot, and bean golden mosaic virus. Develop further insight into the pathogen and host genes involved in the host pathogen interaction as an aid to improving levels of disease resistance. Improved technologies for the efficient transformation of beans. Understanding the variation in the pathogens such as rust, white mold, Fusarium root rot, common blight, bean golden mosaic, and bean common mosaic virus. Identify resistant germplasm and genes for fungal and bacterial resistance effective at multiple sites in bean production areas of the U.S. Have available for public use, additional molecular markers linked to major resistance genes and QTLs controlling abiotic and biotic stresses in common bean. Release of multiple disease resistant germplasm and/or cultivars in a range of commercial classes adapted to major bean production areas in the U.S. Disease management strategies to stabilize resistance longevity will accompany these releases. OBJECTIVE 3. Elucidate Genetic Controls for Food Quality and Value Added Components New and more cost effective methodologies including the use of DNA markers will be employed for screening bean germplasm for improved quality. Bean germplasm with improved digestibility and concomitant nutritional benefits will be identified. Other quality characteristics, that influence cookability and ease of preparation, will be combined with the traditional seed characters preferred by consumers. The improved germplasm will be released for use by SAES and federal breeding programs in the U.S. Alternate processing procedures that are energy-efficient, environmentally sound and convenient to use, will be developed to promote new bean-based products."

Outcomes or Projected Impacts

Milestones

(0):0

Projected Participation

View Appendix E: Participation

Outreach Plan

Organization/Governance

Organization
"Present officers of the W-150 Regional Project are:
Chair, Kenneth F. Grafton, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND
Vice-Chair, Robert Gilbertson, University of California, Davis, CA
Secretary, Rusty Smith, USDA-ARS, Tropical Agriculture Research Service, Mayaguez, PR


Members of the Technical Committee are designated by the directors of the various participating states and agencies. The project is considered a Western Regional Research Project, but has always had substantial participation by states in other regions of the U.S. and from abroad.

The Technical Committee officers are a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and Secretary. Unless he/she declines to serve, the Vice-Chairperson will succeed the Chairperson. The Secretary is elected annually and the previous Secretary will succeed the Vice-Chairperson, unless he/she declines to serve. An election will be held if any officer declines to serve in his/her office. The officers will be elected from the officially designated representatives. The Administrative Advisor will be selected by the Western Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors. The Administrative Advisor will serve without a vote.

The Technical Committee will meet annually, unless otherwise planned, at a place and on a date designated by a majority vote of the committee. Minutes will be recorded and an annual progress report will be prepared by the Technical Committee and submitted through proper channels."

Literature Cited

Attachments

Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, MI, ND, NE, NY, OR, PR, WA, WI

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions