CIAT’s Genetic Resources Program sa

CIAT’s Genetic Resources Program safeguards the world’s largest and most diverse collection of bean germplasm. The collection consists of around 36,000 samples of cultivated materials mostly from the crop’s Mesoamerican and Andean centers of origin together with wild species related to these materials. The CIAT collection constitutes a valuable resource for bean improvement worldwide.
Center bean researchers have a long and successful history of developing varieties with genetic resistance to the crop’s major pests and diseases. These materials give farmers a way to stabilize bean yields and reduce the use of chemical controls, thus lowering environmental and human health risks.

Currently, Center scientists emphasize tolerance to abiotic stresses, such as low phosphorus, aluminum toxicity, and drought. Improved drought tolerance is essential for adapting bean production to the impacts of climate change, particularly in Central America and eastern and southern Africa.