Improving yield and quality of bean seed protein and the development of superior populations for cooperative utilization in breeding programs; progress report, 1976

DURATION: FEBRUARY 5, 1975-DECEMBER 31, 1977. DEVELOPMENTS: THIS REPORT DISCUSSES THE RESEARCH DONE IN WISCONSIN, COLOMBIA, AND PUERTO RICO, ON DEVELOPING AND EVALUATING HIGH PROTEIN GENOTYPES WITH WIDE-ADAPTABILITY AND MULTIPLE TRAIT SUPERIORITY. THE RESULTS OF THE STUDIES ARE PRESENTED AND ILLUSTRATED WITH MANY TABLES. SINCE FOOD LEGUMES ARE THE SOLE PROTEIN SOURCE FOR NEARLY 50% OF THE POPULATION IN MANY LDCS IT IS DESIRABLE TO DEVELOP HIGH-YIELDING, PROTEIN RICH LEGUME CULTIVARS WHICH COMPLEMENT CEREALS NUTRITIONALLY AND ARE ECONOMICALLY COMPETITIVE. LARGE SEEDED FOOD LEGUMES ARE ABLE TO BIOLOGICALLY FIX NITROGEN AND ACCUMULATE LARGE AMOUNTS OF SEED PROTEIN. THERE IS GREAT VARIABILITY AMONG BEAN GENOTYPES TO ACCUMULATE PROTEIN IN THE SEED. THERE IS NOW A SOUND BASIS FOR DEVELOPING STRAINS WITH IMPROVED METHIONINE CONTENT, AND RESEARCH IS WELL UNDERWAY IN DETERMINING THE EFFECTS OF TANNIN. THESE STUDIES ARE RELEVANT FOR IMPROVING PROTEIN CONTENT IN HIGH YIELDING BEAN POPULATIONS AND FOR PROVIDING A MODEL THAT IS APPLICABLE TO IMPROVING OTHER TRAITS IN BEAN POPULATIONS AND OTHER SELF-POLLINATED CROPS.