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Bruce Mutari
International Crops Research Institute for The Semi Arid Tropics
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4159-287X
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Background: Navy bean is an important legume crop in Zimbabwe. Its production is limited by multiple constraints including biotic, abiotic and socio-economic. However, there is no documented participatory research on production status, biotic stress management strategies, farmers’ perceived production, and marketing constraints, and cultivar trait preferences among the major navy bean growing regions. Thus, this study aimed at identifying farmers’ production constraints, preferred traits and cultivars of navy bean, and strategies used to mitigate some of these constraints.
Methods: A Participatory Rural Appraisal approach involving transect walks, focus group discussions (FGDs), and formal surveys with semi-structured questionnaires was conducted in four villages of the Lowveld region of Zimbabwe. In each of the four villages, two FGDs (one for men and one for women) were conducted. A total of 176 (75 males and 101 females) navy bean growing households were interviewed. Data from household interviews and FGDs was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists computer package.
Results: The most important constraints to navy bean production were drought stress (Females – 86 %, Males – 73 %), heat stress (Females – 58 %, Males – 55 %), load shedding (Females – 46 %, Males – 54 %), poor soil fertility (Females – 32 %; Males – 33 %) and susceptibility to pod shattering (Females – 32 %, Males – 43 %). Mitigation strategies included mulching (18 %), ridges (12 %), reduced acreage (11 %), and cultivating to retain more soil moisture (11 %) for drought stress, while irrigating at night (32 %), and adjusting planting dates (29 %) were used to manage heat stress. Farmer-preferred traits included tolerance to drought and heat, early maturing varieties and disease resistance. Marketing constraints included non-payment for produce in hard currency, lack of diversity in terms of off-takers, high inflation, low grain producer price, delayed payment and breach of contract by contractors.
Conclusion: There will be increased adoption of improved navy bean cultivars if breeding programs address the aforementioned constraints and consider farmer-preferred traits when developing new cultivars. Breeders should work closely with extension officers to ensure that cultivars released are cultivated with appropriate agronomic packages for increased productivity and high adoption.
Keywords
Navy bean, participatory rural appraisal, production constraints, preferred traits, marketing constraints
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View the published article at Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine.
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On 19 Jan, 2021
Editorial decision: Major Revision
On 03 Jan, 2021
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Reviewer #2 agreed
On 21 Jan, 2021
Review #1 received
Received 21 Jan, 2021
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 21 Jan, 2021
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 21 Jan, 2021
Editor assigned
On 20 Jan, 2021
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On 20 Jan, 2021
Editor invited
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Version 1
Posted 02 Dec, 2020
No comments provided
Review #1 received
Received 02 Jan, 2021
Editorial decision: Major Revision
On 02 Jan, 2021
Review #2 received
Received 24 Dec, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 29 Nov, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 28 Nov, 2020
Editor assigned
On 23 Nov, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 23 Nov, 2020
Submission checks complete
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A new preprint design is coming!
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See the published version of this preprint at Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine.
This is a preprint, a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research
Bruce Mutari
International Crops Research Institute for The Semi Arid Tropics
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4159-287X
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Published
View the published article at Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine.
Version (no preprint)
Posted 11 Feb, 2021
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 11 Feb, 2021
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 11 Feb, 2021
Review #1 received
Received 11 Feb, 2021
Editor assigned
On 10 Feb, 2021
Submission checks complete
On 10 Feb, 2021
Editor invited
On 10 Feb, 2021
This version was not preprinted
Version (no preprint)
Posted 27 Jan, 2021
Review #1 received
Received 27 Jan, 2021
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 21 Jan, 2021
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 21 Jan, 2021
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 21 Jan, 2021
Review #2 received
Received 21 Jan, 2021
Editor assigned
On 20 Jan, 2021
Submission checks complete
On 20 Jan, 2021
Editor invited
On 20 Jan, 2021
First submitted
On 19 Jan, 2021
Editorial decision: Major Revision
On 03 Jan, 2021
This version was not preprinted
No community comments so far
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 21 Jan, 2021
Review #1 received
Received 21 Jan, 2021
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 21 Jan, 2021
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 21 Jan, 2021
Editor assigned
On 20 Jan, 2021
Submission checks complete
On 20 Jan, 2021
Editor invited
On 20 Jan, 2021
Version 1
Posted 02 Dec, 2020
No comments provided
Review #1 received
Received 02 Jan, 2021
Editorial decision: Major Revision
On 02 Jan, 2021
Review #2 received
Received 24 Dec, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 29 Nov, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 28 Nov, 2020
Editor assigned
On 23 Nov, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 23 Nov, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 23 Nov, 2020
Editor invited
On 23 Nov, 2020
First submitted
On 17 Nov, 2020
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Subject Areas
Translational Medicine
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published article at Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine.
Background: Navy bean is an important legume crop in Zimbabwe. Its production is limited by multiple constraints including biotic, abiotic and socio-economic. However, there is no documented participatory research on production status, biotic stress management strategies, farmers’ perceived production, and marketing constraints, and cultivar trait preferences among the major navy bean growing regions. Thus, this study aimed at identifying farmers’ production constraints, preferred traits and cultivars of navy bean, and strategies used to mitigate some of these constraints.
Methods: A Participatory Rural Appraisal approach involving transect walks, focus group discussions (FGDs), and formal surveys with semi-structured questionnaires was conducted in four villages of the Lowveld region of Zimbabwe. In each of the four villages, two FGDs (one for men and one for women) were conducted. A total of 176 (75 males and 101 females) navy bean growing households were interviewed. Data from household interviews and FGDs was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists computer package.
Results: The most important constraints to navy bean production were drought stress (Females – 86 %, Males – 73 %), heat stress (Females – 58 %, Males – 55 %), load shedding (Females – 46 %, Males – 54 %), poor soil fertility (Females – 32 %; Males – 33 %) and susceptibility to pod shattering (Females – 32 %, Males – 43 %). Mitigation strategies included mulching (18 %), ridges (12 %), reduced acreage (11 %), and cultivating to retain more soil moisture (11 %) for drought stress, while irrigating at night (32 %), and adjusting planting dates (29 %) were used to manage heat stress. Farmer-preferred traits included tolerance to drought and heat, early maturing varieties and disease resistance. Marketing constraints included non-payment for produce in hard currency, lack of diversity in terms of off-takers, high inflation, low grain producer price, delayed payment and breach of contract by contractors.
Conclusion: There will be increased adoption of improved navy bean cultivars if breeding programs address the aforementioned constraints and consider farmer-preferred traits when developing new cultivars. Breeders should work closely with extension officers to ensure that cultivars released are cultivated with appropriate agronomic packages for increased productivity and high adoption.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
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