IMPROVING YIELD AND QUALITY OF BEAN SEED PROTEIN; PROGRESS REPORT, JUNE, 1978

Developments: Because of the major role of grain legumes in the diets of many people, world-wide improvement in legume availability and digestability could have considerable impact on nutrition. The project identified strains of common beans which are consistently high in seed protein and confirmed that protein variability is a heritable trait. Researchers established that selection programs sould consider crop yield and protein content simultaneously for maximum effectiveness. The project demonstrated the feasibility of cooperative research with other programs. Strains and breeding lines with superior protein characteristics were made available to other programs for tests and evaluation. The report identified problems for future research and development.