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The bean crop is very important in Colombia, being a generator of income and employment; and furthermore very important within the diet of the population due to its high protein content. Currently, bean production is not sufficient to meet the demand in the country, because of phytosanitary problems, scarce replacement of varieties and inappropriate handling of mineral nutrition of cultivars. Nowadays, the use of products for soils rich in silicon represents an alternative for production increase, because they contribute markedly in nutritional dynamics. So, the purpose of this research was to assess the effect of magnesium silicate on the physiological behavior of ‘ICA Cerinza' bean cultivar under agro- ecological conditions in Tunja (Boyacá, Colombia). For that, a completely random design with four treatments each was used, corresponding to increasing doses of magnesium silicate (0, 300, 600 y 900 kg ha -1 ) with four replications. The total chlorophyll content, leaf area, leaf thickness,fresh and dry mass, yield components, silicon and phosphorus leaf content were evaluated. Statistical differences between treatments ( P ≤0.05) were found in all variables tested. The application of increasing doses of magnesium silicate showed a positive effect, being the treatment of 900 kg ha -1 which presented the best results. This indicates that the contribution of silicon as a beneficial element that can submit a favorable response to physiological level in crops which do not use bio accumulators. However, this response can be linked to agro-ecological conditions, the type of product and also the dose used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bean crop is very important in Colombia, being a generator of income and employment; and furthermore very important within the diet of the population due to its high protein content. Currently, bean production is not sufficient to meet the demand in the country, because of phytosanitary problems, scarce replacement of varieties and inappropriate handling of mineral nutrition of cultivars. Nowadays, the use of products for soils rich in silicon represents an alternative for production increase, because they contribute markedly in nutritional dynamics. So, the purpose of this research was to assess the effect of magnesium silicate on the physiological behavior of ‘ICA Cerinza' bean cultivar under agro-ecological conditions in Tunja (Boyacá, Colombia). For that, a completely random design with four treatments each was used, corresponding to increasing doses of magnesium silicate (0, 300, 600 y 900 kg ha-1) with four replications. The total chlorophyll content, leaf area, leaf thickness, fresh and dry mass, yield components, silicon and phosphorus leaf content were evaluated. Statistical differences between treatments ( P ≤0.05) were found in all variables tested. The application of increasing doses of magnesium silicate showed a positive effect, being the treatment of 900 kg ha-1 which presented the best results. This indicates that the contribution of silicon as a beneficial element that can submit a favorable response to physiological level in crops which do not use bio accumulators. However, this response can be linked to agro-ecological conditions, the type of product and also the dose used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study estimates the dry bean yield increase in South Africa that is attributable to genetic improvements through the Agricultural Research Council's (ARC) bean breeding program. Using 32 test plots across South Africa from 1982 to 2014, results indicate that ARC breeding increased average yields by 11.65 kg/ha annually, for a cumulative 43.28% increase. These yield increases were not at the expense of yield variance, an important measure of food security. These findings indicate that the returns on investment are relatively high (an estimated 5.67:1 benefit-cost ratio) and can lead to greater food security though increased and stabilized bean yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La investigación se desarrolló entre los meses de noviembre de 2013 a marzo de 2014 con el objetivo maximizar los niveles físicos y económicos de uso de agua en la producción del frijol mediante la simulación de los rendimientos con el modelo AquaCrop. El área de la investigación pertenece a la UBPC Grito de Yara, la cual se encuentra ubicada a los 200 25' de Latitud N y a los 760 53' de Longitud O con una altura de 6 m.s.n.m. Se realizó un total de 7 riegos. Se sembró la variedad Delicia 360, el día 20 de diciembre con un marco de plantación de 0,5 x 0,8 m. Una vez calibrado el modelo AquaCrop, se simularon los rendimientos del cultivo de frijol bajo diferentes niveles de agua disponible para obtener la función de producción con la cual se realizó la maximización física y económica del agua. El volumen de agua que garantiza un máximo físico es de 2 244,37 m³ ·ha-1 para la obtención de rendimientos de 2 406,51 kg·ha-1 . El volumen de agua que garantiza el máximo económico es de 2 438,06 m³ ·ha-1 con lo cual se garantiza una ganancia de 47 010.38 $·ha-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Megoura crassicauda Mordvilko (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a dominant aphid species found on Vicia sativa subsp. nigra (L.) Ehrh. (Fabaceae) in the spring. Worker ants of Formica japonica, the dominant ant species attracted to the extrafloral nectaries of V. s. nigra, often attack ladybirds ( Coccinella septempunctata), which are aphid enemies. However, the workers of F. japonica do not attack or exclude M. crassicauda, the non-myrmecophilous aphid. It appears that the 'bodyguard' retained by the plant guards the plant's herbivore by attacking the herbivores' enemies, rather than guarding the plant itself. The relationship between V. s. nigra and M. crassicauda was observed in the field to examine and evaluate the cost of parasitism. Parasitism by M. crassicauda delayed flower bud formation markedly in V. s. nigra but did not kill the plants. V. s. nigra plants that were parasitized showed a net bean production similar to that of the non-parasitized controls. The parasitism rate of M. crassicauda increased when extrafloral nectaries were used by F. japonica. These results may indicate that M. crassicauda provides V. s. nigra with benefits by preventing other serious disadvantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A pot experiment was conducted to appraise the inhibitory effects of salt stress on biochemical attributes in the three mungbean cultivars (NCM-209, NCM-89 and NM-92). Salt stress caused a significant decrease in plant height, shoot relative water contents, photosynthetic pigments, endogenous levels of K+and K+/Na+ratios and increase in cellular levels of H2O2, MDA, Na+and Cl−. However, cv. NCM-209 was found to be tolerant in terms of lower salt-induced decline in K+, K+/Na+ratio and photosynthetic pigments. The endogenous levels of H2O2and MDA were also lower in cv. NCM-209. Salt stress markedly also affected different yield attributes in all mungbean cultivars. Again cultivar NCM-209 exhibited less inhibitory effects of salt stress on different growth attributes. Salt stress resulted in a marked increase in the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase) in mungbean cultivars. Activity of peroxidase was maximal in cv. NCM-209 and catalase activity was maximal in cv. NCM-89, whereas cvs. NCM-89 and NM-92 showed higher activities of superoxide dismutase. Similarly activity of ascorbate peroxidase was higher in cv. NM-92. It could be inferred from data of antioxidant enzymes that mungbean cultivars cannot be categorized as salt tolerant or sensitive on the basis of a single antioxidant enzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Our hypothesis was that recovery responses (RI and RII) upon rehydration, after 1 and 8 d of moderate (WDI) and severe water deficit (WDII), are evidence of tolerance in two commercial bean cultivars, Tacarigua (T cv) and VUL-73-40 (V cv). Recovery of leaf water (Ψw) and osmotic potentials (Ψs), and relative water content (LRWC), showed strong dependence on soil water potential (sΨw) followed by protein content; recovery connection between stomatal conductance and soil Ψw is showed. Chlorophyll (a + b), Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase (Rubisco) activity, dry biomass (DM), and leaf area (LA) recovery were sensitive to WD intensity. Specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf density (D) recovery were less dependent on WD intensity and in time-dependent manner; V cv recovery was slower, showed faster recovery of Rubisco activity and DM due to slower recovery in SLA and D, which promoted it. Rubisco activity presented correlations with LRWC and Ψw at moderate and severe WD in both cultivars, and significant correlation with Ψs was observed in V cv. We conclude that recovery after rehydration reveals intrinsic tolerance to WD, due to an integration of metabolic and structural interactions, in responses to leaf water status components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bean rust, caused by the fungus Uromyces appendiculatus, is a major constraint for common bean production worldwide. Virulence of U. appendiculatus collected from wild and cultivated Phaseolus spp. was examined in 28 locations across Honduras. Host accessions represent-ing wild and domesticated Phaseolus spp. collected at the same sam-pling locations were evaluated for resistance against U. appendicula-tus. In total, 91 pathotypes were identified from 385 U. appendiculatus isolates according to their virulence on each of the 12 host differen-tials. No significant difference in pathogen total virulence, measured as the mean disease score, was found between locations. However, sig-nificant differences were found in pathotype virulence among isolates collected from different Phaseolus spp. within a location. Moreover, when locations were compared on the basis of pathotype occurrence and frequency, differences among locations were evident. No two loca-tions had the same pathotype composition. The most common patho-type was virulent on 9 of the 12 differential lines. A high number of resistant accessions were identified in Phaseolus coccineus and P. lunatus. Although most wild P. vulgaris accessions were highly sus-ceptible, rust resistance was observed in P. vulgaris landraces collected from farmer's fields. Thirty-two (52%) of the accessions screened showed intermediate to high levels of resistance and, of those, 16% were P. coccineus accessions. Our findings support the hypothesis that interaction of U. appendiculatus in host populations composed of di-verse Phaseolus spp. and genotypes has favored highly diverse and virulent pathotypes, creating a center for virulence diversity of the pathogen in Honduras. The high percentage of intermediate and highly resistant accessions identified in the present study supports the strategy of collecting plants from the center of diversity of a pathogen or in locations with high incidence of disease and pathogen diversity to maximize the probability of identifying new sources of resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this work was to formulate cookies using extruded flour from by-products of rice and common beans industries, such as broken rice and split old bean grains, in order to make available foods with added nutritional value as other options to consumers. The market of ready to eat and high quality products is increasing in the world considering the new habits and life style of modern consumers. Different proportions of rice and black bean (whole – WBF or peeled grain - PBF) pre-gelatinized flours were used to prepare the cookies by partially replacing the corn starch in the original recipe. The samples were characterized for physicochemical and sensory parameters. The final products showed an interesting nutritional composition. The increase of mixed flour on cookies formulation contributed to an increase of vitamin B content. There was no tannin content detected in the final products and the level of phytate was very low with no significant difference among samples. A significant difference between products was observed for some colour parameters. The sensory analyses showed that consumers “liked lightly” the cookies with 15% and 30% PBF and 15% WBF. Cookies formulated with WBF had lower acceptance by consumers in terms of appearance and only those with 30% WBF had an intermediate score (“neither like, neither dislike”) for global acceptability. Regarding texture, when a higher amount of both flour (PBF and WBF) was applied it was observed an increase of cookie hardness and fracturability values. In conclusion it is viable to produce acceptable cookies using a rice and black bean extruded flour and then diversify the application of these by-products generated by their processing industries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Developed countries are major markets for developing country fresh produce. Demand by developed country consumers for spotless produce has encouraged developing country consumers to rely increasingly on pesticides in producing fresh export vegetables. However developed country pesticide standards enacted in response to reports of increased farmer and farm worker pesticide poisoning and the food safety scandals of the 1980s and 1990s require changes in the way growers use pesticides. The EU has especially developed stringent food safety standards relating to, among other things, pesticide usage. Under EU pesticide standards (EU-PS) farmers are trained by their buyers on safe use of pesticides and then closely monitored under contract. This paper looks at the impact of these standards on developing country farmers’ use of alternative pest management practices, pesticide protective clothing and the actual usage of pesticides. It finds that compliance with EU-PS increases the use of alternative pest management practices and protective clothing. However, EU-PS has mixed effect on the quantity of pesticides used. The paper also finds that farmer’s education and access to information play an important role in the use of alternative pest management practices. The paper concludes that EU-PS encourage the use of alternative pest management practices and pesticide protective gear in production of fresh export vegetables. The findings imply that EU-PS promote environmentally-friendly methods of production of fresh export vegetables in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of the researches that is carried out in the Havana Agrarian University (UNAH), in the Agricultural Mechanization Center (CEMA), directed to the Conservation Agriculture development., the objective of the present work was to determine the energy cost of the main, mechanized, hand and animal traction agricultural operations in two soil preparation systems, to quantify its possible saving using the no tillage system, with relationship to the conventional system, leaving of the hypothesis that it is possible to economize energy using this system. The work was developed in the educational areas at the UNAH, Havana, Cuba, where the Agronomy Faculty Polygon is located, experimental designs were used at random in blocks to determine the energy cost and the agricultural indicative of the bean cultivation to different depths of soil preparation. The results of the research allowed to reach the following conclusions: the no tillage system has an energy cost of only 58,11% of the cost of the conventional system being possible to save 1 731,82 MJ · ha-1, equivalent to 36,23 liters of diesel fuel, for each worked hectare, not showing differs significant in the treatments to different depths of soil preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A microanalytic simulation model of the interrelationships among Mexican bean beetle pest populations, populations of wasps that are parasites of the pest, chemical control inputs, and soybean yield is presented. Points from output response surfaces obtained through simulations of alternative biological and chemical pest control strategies are utilized in conjunction with cost data to construct benefit-cost ratios for each intraseasonal control option studied. Comparison of ratios indicates that biological control of the pest is, by benefit-cost criteria and from both private and social perspectives, a competitive alternative to chemical control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dynamic model for the white dry edible bean sector based upon empirical demand and supply relationships is used (1) to evaluate the impact of governmental support programs, (2) to study the impact which changes in the exogenous variables have on the system, and (3) to estimate the effects which support prices established above free market prices have on production. Unique aspects of this study are (1) the treatment of a group, of commodities rather than a single commodity, (2) the explicit consideration given to production and demand interrelationships, and (3) the effects of government programs on both controlled and noncontrolled commodities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that world coffee crop for the 2007-2008 season is expected at 116 million bags, down by 7.2 percent on 2007, according to the International Coffee Organization (ICO). ICO puts the 2007 African crop at 15.74 million bags, comprising 8.59 million bags of finer Arabica beans and 7.15 million bags of Robustas. The biggest African coffee producers are Ethiopia with 5.73 million bags, Uganda with 2.75 million bags, Cote d'Ivoire with 2.35 million bags, Kenya with 925,000 bags, Tanzania with 867,000 bags and Cameroon with 795,000 bags.

The article reports that the dry bean industry, via the nonprofit organization, Beans for Health Alliance, will fund scientific research in the United States and Africa to add to the evidence that its crops can help reduce the risk of various diseases. The studies will explore the roles of dry beans in the prevention and treatment of several diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. A research showed that dried beans and peas contain the highest levels of disease-fighting compounds.

Focuses on bean production in Burundi, Rwanda and western Zaire. The planting of climbing beans; The 15 natural staking materials that farmers have come up with to support the beans; Work of the Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Rwanda and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture.