Abstract
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a legume that contributes to food security and poverty reduction in Benin. However, there is very little information on its production constraints, varietal diversity, storage practices, storage insect management, and seed system. While these information are necessary for use in breeding programs and a better conservation of this legume. To fill these gaps, ethnobotanical surveys were conducted in 23 villages selected through central Benin using participatory rural appraisal tools and techniques. The number of beans landraces ranged from 3 to 5 per village (4.7 on averages) and from 1 to 4 per household (1.7 on average). A total of 26 common beans folk varieties, corresponding to 12 climbing bean landraces were recorded in the study area. A high rate of threat of landraces disappearance was recorded through surveyed villages. Various seeds storage tools were recorded and the seed system was essentially informal. The use of inert substances, chemical insecticides and insect repellent/insecticidal plants to control storage insects has been reported in the study area. Farmers noted a differential susceptibility of common bean landraces to storage insect pest. Our findings showed that there is an urgent need of development of integrated bean storage insect management strategies. Key words: Constraints, common bean, insect pests, seed system, varietal diversity.
Highlights
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a worldwidecultivated legume, with world production of 26,833,394 tons in 2016 (FAO, 2016)
This study has shown that several constraints hampered common bean production in central Benin with the lack of staking materials as the main constraint
The training of farmers on climbing beans intercropping production practises, and in common bean seeds production are important for the improvement of common bean production in the study area
Summary
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a worldwidecultivated legume, with world production of 26,833,394 tons in 2016 (FAO, 2016). Common bean are an excellent source of important nutrients such as iron, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, calcium, potassium and vitamins (Mojica and de Mejía, 2015; Beans are inexpensive sources of nutrients for people of lower socio-economic status in African and Latin American countries (Mojica and de Mejía, 2015). It is widely cultivated in the tropics for its green edible.
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