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Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most important food legume crop in Africa and Latin America where rainfall pattern is unpredictable. The objectives were to identify better yielding common bean lines with good canning quality under drought, and to identify traits that could be used as selection criteria for evaluating drought-tolerant genotypes. In all, 35 advanced lines were developed through single seed descent and evaluated with a standard check under drought and irrigated conditions at two locations over 2 years in Ethiopia. Grain yield (GY), pod number per m2, seed number per m2 and seed weight decreased by 56%, 47%, 49% and 14%, respectively, under drought stress. Eight genotypes had better yield with good canning quality under drought compared to the check. Moderate to high proportion of genetic effects were observed under drought conditions for GY and yield components compared to genotype × environment effects. Significant positive correlations between GY and pod harvest index (PHI) in drought suggest that PHI could be used as an indirect selection criterion for common bean improvement.

Purpose: This research, conducted in Ethiopia, involved select stakeholders in the variety evaluation process early: to identify a greater number of acceptable varieties and to shorten a lengthy research and release process.Design/methodology/approach: A Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB) approach was used in both on-station and community-based trial evaluations. Farmers, traders and processors evaluated bean varieties for promotion, considering field performance, culinary characteristics, market value, and canning acceptability.Findings: Within four years, two varieties were identified and recommended for release which were high performing, had excellent consumption and cooking characteristics for local foods, fetched high local market prices and met international canning quality standards.Practical implications: (1) Ethiopian men and women have distinct criteria for evaluating white pea beans, the former putting emphasis on marketability, with women focusing on food security issues. Both groups ...