BIOFORTIFIED RED KIDNEY BEAN VARIETIES FOR PANAMA, 2008-2018

Abstract

The bio fortification is the increase in nutrient levels through genetic improvement, mainly in foods for mass consumption such as legumes and cereals. In order to obtain biofortified pink bean varieties, sixteen crosses were made between pink creole bean and IDIAP R2 varieties with new lines of high iron content from CIAT, which were advanced by mass selection until F₅ and 530 lines F_5-6 were selected. Through robust statistical tools such as selection index, Alfa Lattice, Biplot GGE and early participation in the process of genetic improvement by farmers, it was possible to select the best lines for their performance, reaction to thread blight, content of iron in the grain, color, size and luster of the grain. In the validation of the lines with the producers for two consecutive years, the superiority in yield of the varieties IDIAP P 09-11 and IDIAP P 13-38 over the pink creole bean and IDIAP R2 was demonstrated. The information provided by 75 farmers and collected through participatory plant breeding indicates that there is no difference between the yield of the new varieties and the varieties used by the farmers (P≥0,05). The new varieties have a higher iron content, 88 ppm and 78 ppm respectively; Creole varieties show 55 ppm and 50 ppm of this element. No statistical differences (P≥0,05) in consumption preferences were found when the new varieties were evaluated and compared to pink creole bean. After 10 years of evaluation, two new varieties of pink grain were released for the farmers of Panama.