Climbing Bean with High Yield and N Fixation

Growing Prosperity: Climbing Beans for Food Security & Income Growth

Climbing beans are characterized by their long, indeterminate vines that require support from stakes or trellises. They can grow up to 4 meters or more in height, allowing for vertical canopy development and an extended harvesting period. Climbing beans have become a valuable option for small-scale farmers, especially in regions with shrinking and degraded land holdings. Additionally, these beans have been adapted to local soil and weather conditions in various production zones across Sub-Saharan Africa. Improved varieties of climbing beans are bred with a focus on traits such as bean productivity, nodulation efficacy, drought resistance, disease resistance, and pest resistance. This varietal improvement effort has led to the development of elite lines with superior nitrogen-fixing abilities and landraces suited to specific agroecosystems. This technology significantly contributes to food security, alleviates hunger and malnutrition, and enhances the income of small-scale farmers in Eastern and Southern Africa. Furthermore, the nutritional value of climbing bean varieties makes them suitable for processing into various products, including flour, pre-cooked beans, and canned beans, which can be sold in both local and international markets. Farmers, community-based seed producers, and private seed companies have access to a diverse range of improved climbing bean varieties for multiplication. These varieties include specific options for various countries, such as Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda, each tailored to local conditions and preferences. Improved climbing bean varieties are characterized by shorter maturity periods, excellent taste, and high starch content, making them a valuable asset for sustainable agriculture in the region.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

8•7

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 7/9

4.6 t/ha

Potential yield

92 kg

N fixed per ha

28 %

Increase in bean consumption

IP

Trademark

Problem

Low Yields: Traditional bush bean varieties offer limited yields, making it challenging for small-scale farmers to produce sufficient food.
Pests and Diseases: Common bean crops are susceptible to pests and diseases, leading to crop losses and reduced income for farmers.
Abiotic Stresses: Adverse environmental conditions, such as drought and poor soil quality, hinder bean cultivation and reduce crop productivity.
Nitrogen-Depleted Soils: Many farming regions have nitrogen-depleted soils, which necessitate the use of expensive synthetic fertilizers.
Food Insecurity: Insufficient crop yields contribute to food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly in small-scale farming communities.

Solution

Higher Yields: Improved climbing bean varieties provide significantly higher yields compared to traditional bush beans, ensuring food security and increased income for farmers.

Resistance to Pests and Diseases: These varieties are bred to resist common pests and diseases, reducing the need for chemical pesticides and minimizing crop losses.

Abiotic Stress Tolerance: Climbing bean varieties can thrive in adverse environmental conditions, making them adaptable to different agroecosystems.

Biological Nitrogen Fixation: By promoting higher biological nitrogen fixation, the technology reduces the cost of fertilizers and enables bean cultivation in nitrogen-depleted soils.

Food Security: Climbing beans contribute to food security by offering a more reliable source of food for small-scale farmers and communities.

Key points to design your business plan

Seed Multiplier
Producing climbing bean varieties provides a cost-effective and sustainable solution, addressing economic empowerment, gender equality, and climate resilience in agriculture; empowering diverse farming communities, contributing to enhanced health and wellbeing on a global scale.
To efficiently multiply seeds, it’s essential to acquire Foundation or Registered Seed, depending on your role in the seed development process. Multipliers must obtain a certificate for propagating climbing bean varieties, adhering to the licensing requirements set by each country in SSA for producing and selling certified seeds locally.
Your potential customers are: wholesale distributors of seed to retailers, and to development projects, government agencies, and NGOs1. Building strong partnerships with wholesale distributor networks is key to the success of your business.

Resellers
Selling climbing bean varieties not only provides a valuable product but also fosters closer engagement with users while simultaneously enhancing health and wellbeing on a global scale.
To successfully navigate this market, you need to know where to source climbing bean varieties in bulk, identify efficient transportation methods, and explore suitable storage facilities.
Your potential customer base is: small, local retailers, development projects, producers, and producer cooperatives or associations

User

Using climbing bean varieties offers a solution, fostering economic empowerment and enhancing the health and well-being of diverse farming communities.

As key partners, you need sellers of climbing bean varieties.

The cost climbing beans seeds vary from xx to xx

Also, consider:

labour costs from planting to post harvest estimated at xx

fertilizer inputs at xx per hectare,

You need to estimate the profit realized with the use of the climbing beans seeds.

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

Adult farmers, both men and women, benefit from higher bean yields, improving food security and household income. The technology provides sustainable farming practices, making it easier for them to manage their land efficiently.

The poor: Positive medium

The technology enables them to grow more food on less land, which is crucial as landholdings shrink in many rural areas.

Under 18: Positive high

Climbing bean cultivation, can create job opportunities for young people in farming communities

Women: Positive high

Women can participate in different aspects of the bean value chain, from seed multiplication to processing and marketing, giving them financial independence and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Breeding efforts have enabled climbing beans to be grown in lower altitudes and semi-arid climates, expanding their cultivation beyond traditional high-altitude regions.

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

With higher yields and vertical growth, climbing beans allow farmers to maximize production on small plots, which is increasingly important as climate change affects land availability and productivity.

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

Climbing beans can be intercropped with other crops such as maize, banana, and sorghum, supporting biodiversity on farms and reducing monoculture practices.

Carbon footprint: A bit less carbon released

The nitrogen-fixing ability of climbing beans reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, which are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. By lowering fertilizer use, climbing beans help reduce the carbon footprint of farming operations.

Environmental health: Greatly improves environmental health

The technology promotes practices such as staking and organic inputs, reducing reliance on non-renewable resources and contributing to long-term environmental sustainability.

Soil quality: Does not affect soil health and fertility

Climbing beans enhance soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation, improving the overall quality of the soil. This is particularly beneficial in regions with nitrogen-depleted soils, allowing for better productivity without depleting soil nutrients.

Water use: Same amount of water used

Climbing beans have been bred for drought tolerance, making them more water-efficient than traditional crops. This is especially important in water-scarce regions affected by climate change.

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Benin	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Burundi	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Côte d’Ivoire	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Democratic Republic of the Congo	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Malawi	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Rwanda	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
South Sudan	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Tanzania	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Uganda	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Zambia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Zimbabwe	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid	–	–	–	–
Semiarid	–	–	–	–
Subhumid	–		–
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Rich in protein, fiber, and essential nutrients, climbing beans help combat malnutrition in vulnerable communities, particularly children and women.

Goal 12: responsible production and consumption

Climbing beans reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides through biological nitrogen fixation and pest resistance, promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

Goal 5: gender equality

Climbing beans provide a valuable crop that women can grow to enhance household food security and incomes.

Goal 13: climate action

The heat and drought tolerance of improved climbing bean varieties enhances farmers' resilience to climate change, ensuring continued crop production in changing climatic conditions.

1. Variety Selection: Choose suitable climbing bean varieties based on your agro-ecological conditions and socio-economic context. Consider the specific needs of your region and the adaptability of different varieties.

2. Supporting Structures: Prepare stakes or trellises to support the climbing beans. Ensure that the support structures are strong and tall enough to accommodate the vertical growth of the beans.

3. Cropping Systems: Decide whether you will cultivate climbing beans as a monocrop or in combination with other crops such as maize, banana, roots and tubers, sorghum, or millet. Adjust your planting and management practices accordingly.

4. Planting: Choose well-prepared hills or ridges for planting, especially in clay soils or areas with a high water table. Incorporate organic inputs into the planting sites to enhance soil fertility.

5. Spacing: Determine the appropriate spacing between rows based on your trellising system and the level of mechanization. In a monocrop, row spacing is typically set at 75-100 cm.

6. Seed Inoculation: Inoculate climbing bean seeds with rhizobia to promote nitrogen fixation and improve soil fertility. Follow recommended procedures for seed inoculation.

7. Timely Planting: Plant climbing beans at the right time, considering your local climate and growing season. Ensure that the planting schedule aligns with optimal conditions for growth.

8. Fertilization: Apply appropriate fertilizers as needed, based on soil testing and local recommendations. Proper fertilization can enhance bean yield and soil health.

9. Weeding: Implement effective weeding practices to control weeds and prevent competition for resources. Keep the bean fields free from unwanted vegetation.

10. Monitoring and Maintenance: Continuously monitor the progress of your climbing beans throughout the growing season. Make necessary adjustments in response to changing conditions.

Last updated on 20 September 2024