In western Nebraska, late May and early June are planting times for dry edible beans. In Chile, where Carlos Urrea, Nebraska Extension dry edible bean breeding specialist, has just returned from, harvest is just beginning.
Urrea plants dry edible beans year-round, traveling to countries in the southern hemisphere when the northern hemisphere is in winter.
Urrea has collaborated with INIA in Quilamapu, Chile, and their dry bean growing program, where he introduced recessive traits for dry beans, creating resistance in a couple of bean lines. He is also helping to advance work on crosses to improve resistance to bean weevils. Urrea has been collaborating with Kianyon Tay, a researcher at INIA Quilamapu, who leads Chile's legume genetic improvement program.
“We have managed to identify lines of beans that have resistance to this (bean) weevil, and those initial sources come from other bean-related species," Urrea said.
Urrea said in Chile, dry bean crop acres have dropped steadily in recent decades as growers plant other crops or none.
“The number of acres of beans has decreased significantly in Chile. It is a threat to food security. Numerous studies confirm its high protein content and, through the breeding process, its biofortification has been achieved, adding iron and zinc, which are essential in nutrition, in addition to many health benefits,” he said.
Much like Nebraska growers, Chilean growers are also facing weather challenges, with droughts and high temperatures.
"I have managed to develop several materials, and they have been released as germplasm and other lines that have the potential to achieve good yields in dry and hot conditions,” Urrea said. “This is key if we consider that the demand for food will continue to grow in the world. So, the water that we stop using in the cultivation of beans can be used in other crops.”
The bean varieties being developed at INIA by Urrea in the next several years will assist growers with resistance to water stress and decrease water consumption by those earlier varieties.
"If one develops materials with high yield potential and all these resistances, that translates into higher returns and will encourage beans to be planted again," Urrea said.
Irrigation will still be necessary, but the bean varieties will perform better with less.
Urrea’s visits to Chile have built relationships between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Concepción. The connection will open up possible internship opportunities between the two universities.
