Although climbing beans are a relatively recentintroduction in most of the countries in East and Central Africa (ECA), the beanshave gained popularity in the last decade among smallholder farmers, because ofthe conspicuous yield advantage these have over bush types, plus more effectiveand efficient utilisation of cultivated plots (which are decreasing rapidly insize due to fast population growth). Climbing beans, which were introduced inRwanda in the mid-1980s, spread rapidly to Burundi, DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya,Tanzania and Ethiopia. However, continued expansion and adoption of climbingbean technology is constrained by susceptibility of available cultivars toanthracnose, angular leaf spot, root rots complex, aschochyta, common bacterialblight, halo blight, low soil fertility (low soil N and P), drought and lack ofthe preferred grain types.

Although common bean is the most important grain legume inECA, yields in farmers’ field are low. Typical yield of bush bean is 300 to 500kg/ha when intercropped, and 400 to 700 kg/ha when grown in pure stands. Yieldsare lower in semi-arid and arid regions due to severe moisture and heat stress.Heat and drought tolerant climbing beans offer a new opportunity of increasingbean productivity in certain niches in semi-arid regions and other areas wheredroughts are frequent. Expanding cultivation of climbing beans from theirtraditional production high altitude zones with adequate rainfall, moderatelyfertile soils and high population pressure to the less densely populated andmore expansive middle altitudes is constrained by poor adaptation of popularcultivars, moisture, heat and low soil fertility stresses. Spread of climbingbeans to regions where traditional mixtures do not adequately meet new marketdemand for specific grain types has put pressure on national programmes todevelop cultivars that respond better to these demands.

The East and Central Africa Bean Research Network (ECABREN)in partnership with national bean programmes, the International Center forTropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the Pan African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA)have been developing climbing beans adapted to medium altitude zones since2000. Four new climbing bean varieties adapted to medium and low altitudes werereleased in Rwanda (MAC 9, MAC 34 and MAC 49) and Kenya (Kenya Safi), where thehigh altitude climbers perform poorly. The varieties have high yield potential(2.5 to 3 t/ha) and marketable grain types and have a 3:1 yield advantagecompared to bush bean varieties. They are resistant or moderately resistant toroot rots, aschochyta, anthracnose and tolerant to angular leaf spot and beancommon mosaic virus. They are early maturing (84 days in Rwanda) and aretolerant to drought. They have highly marketable grain types and cook fast.

The bean varieties have been thoroughly tested in on-farmand on-station trials and were highly appreciated and endorsed by farmersduring the participatory selection. Farmers in drought prone areas liked thesevarieties due to their marketable grain types, drought tolerance, fast cookingand large seed sizes. They have been promoted drought prone areas in easternRwanda, eastern, western and central Kenya. They have potential for productionin northern Tanzania, southern and Rift Valley regions of Ethiopia, andnorthern Sudan. Demand for seed of these varieties is very high. The varietiesare particularly suited to areas above 1000 metres above sea level. These areAFBE 5, AFBE 6, AFBE 9 and AFBE 10 (Wortmann et al. 1998).

Scaling-up approaches

The users of these technologies include: millions ofsmallholder farmers in drought prone environments, rural and urban beanproducers, traders, a wide range of rural and urban consumers the poor, themalnourished, women/men), those with land shortages, bean users generally, andcommercial farmers.

The dissemination approaches used to each the users of thetechnology include:

§ Widerimpact strategy developed by PABRA/CIAT (CIAT 2005; Rubyogo et al. 2010).

§ Mainlythrough partnerships with a broad range of partners including NARS, extensionofficers, NGOs, community-based organisations, farmers and farmer groups.

§ Useof wide variety of media, including field days, demo plots, video, promotionalmaterials including brochures, and leaflets in multiple languages.

The critical and essential factors needed for successfulpromotion and wider adoption of the technology are:

§ Adequateavailability of seed

§ Adequateavailability of promotion materials to create awareness

§ Farmerand other end-user involvement during the development and testing of theproduct

§ Smallpacks which are affordable and enhances reach

§ Demonstrationsin various venues

§ Timelyavailability of planting materials in multiple locations and other inputs

§ Availabilityof additional inputs such as inoculants, manure is beneficial to realisation ofbenefits

The challenges encountered and in respect to furtherdisseminate the technology or innovation, adoption and scaling up/out: limitedamount of seed, limited distribution channels; limited personnel and resourcesfor production of basic and certified seed, operational expenses; and limitedstaking options.

The following are recommendations for addressing thechallenges:

§ Supportproduction of adequate quantities of seed

§ Linkwith partners with special capacities for dissemination

§ Seekvarious options for support from development partners for seed money

§ Teststaking options developed by ECABREN partners especially ISAR (Rwanda), KALRO-Embu(Kenya) and SARI (Tanzania)

§ Supportcommercialisation of new varieties of seed for sustainability

§ Conductpromotional activities with partners

§ Trainfarmers on seed production and storage

§ Linkageswith partners with adequate capacity to produce certified seed includingprocessing, dressing and labeling.

Among the lessons learned about the best ways to get thesetechnologies to be used by the largest number of people include: Involvement ofend-users during product development and testing and taking their preferencesinto consideration, availability of descriptions of technologies, promotion ofstaking options key to adoption of climbing bean technology, promotion which iscritical through a variety of channels, partnerships, to ensure wide reach ofthe technologies.

Women are the primary actors in the selection, production,harvesting, processing and consumption of bean products. Participatoryapproaches revealed they have specific preferences: earliness, upright growthhabit, cooking characteristics, taste, after cooking shelf life, cooking time(save on fuel costs), flatulence, compatibility with other crops(intercropping), high yield potential, drought resistance, and resistance topests and diseases, for example.

Prof Agnes Mwang’ombe, Principal, College of Agricultureand Veterinary Sciences, University of Nairobi, PO Box 29053-00625, Nairobi,Kenya; Email: principal-cavs@uonbi.ac.ke or deanagric@uonbi.ac.ke; Prof AgnesMwang’ombe mwangombe@kenyaweb.com; Telephone: +254 020 2055126; Mobile: +254722921075

Name and address ofpresenter:

Paul Kimani, CIAT/Dept of Plant Science and CropProtection, University of Nairobi; PO Box 29053-00625, Nairobi, Kenya; Email:kimanipm@nbnet.co.ke; Telephone: +254 20 2048561; Mobile: +254 724511585;Country: Kenya

Names and contact ofprincipal scientist:

David Karanja/David Macharia,

Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organization (KALRO)Katumani,

P. O. Box340-90100,

Machakos, Kenya;

Email: ksukatu@wananchi.com, karanjadr@yahoo.com;

Tel: +254 20 3503149;

Mobile: +254 722 674277;

Fax: +254 20 3503149

Name and address of otherscientist in Kenya (for Katumani varieties):

Dr CW Kariuki, KARLO-Katumani,

P. O. Box 340;

Machakos, Kenya.

Email: cwkariuki@jambo.co.ke

Name and address of theorganisation:

Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB);

Kigali, Rwanda.

Name and address ofprincipal scientist:

Augustine Musoni;

National Bean Programme Coordinator;

ISAR, Nyagatare, Rwanda.

Telephone: +250 0788747932

Mobile: +250 0788747932

Email: afmusoni2@yahoo.com;

Name and address of theorganisation:

Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Burundi (ISABU);

P. O. Box 795;

Bujumbura, Burundi.

Tel: +257 22222567

Fax: +257 22225798

Name and address ofprincipal scientist:

Capitoline Ruraduma,

National Bean Programme Coordinator,

Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Burundi (ISABU),

P. O. Box 795, Bujumbura, Burundi;

Telephone: +257 22222567,

Fax: 257 22225798;

Mobile: +257 7751728;

Email: ntirabampa2000@yahoo.fr, capruraduma@yahoo.fr