CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), is a member of the Fabaceae family and a native of Central and South America. In many tropical and subtropical regions of America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, it is now widely grown as a significant food crop. It is a highly polymorphic warm-season herbaceous annual crop with twining, climbing vines (indeterminate). The bean stem or vine  can reach 2 to 5 m in length (Amanuel and Merkeb, 2018).  Due to its high protein content, it is a staple meal in the daily diets of almost 500 million people globally (25-30 percent of the dry seed) (Kamtchoum et al., 2018).

Beans have high nutritional and economical values where it is rich in protein, carbohydrates, and vitamin C and is consumed by a large number of Cameroon’s population. Despite its importance, farmers producing bean can experience low yields. These low yields are mostly explained by the numerous biotic and abiotic stressors that influence the bean during cultivation (De Luque and Creamer, 2014). Diseases are predicted to be the most significant barrier to bean output in Africa, followed by inadequate soil fertility. The most devastating diseases are caused by fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Different Pythium spp. cause seed decay, pre-emergency, and post-emergency on different bean genotypes. Similarly, infected common bean seeds or seedlings become discolored, chlorotic, mushy, and decaying even if they germinate and they wilt or even die within 1-3 weeks (Binagwa, 2019).

In Cameroon, common bean rank third after groundnut and cowpea in terms of legume consumption (Abia, WA, Shum, C.E, Fomboh (2016) Agriculture in Cameroon proposed strategy). The excellent nutritive content of common bean, combined with its ability to survive and develop even arid climate fluctuations, makes it the most important legume produced in Western Cameroon (Kamtchoum et al., 2018; John and Jonah, 2020). The positive properties of common bean have resulted in a large increase in its demand both within Cameroon and from customers from surrounding nations. The Western Highlands are the most important common bean producing zones in Cameroon, accounting for at least 90% of total national production (John and Jonah, 2020).

1.2 Problem Statement And Justification

Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is leguminous rich in protein, macro and some micro-nutrients and vitamins. This crop contributes to household food and income (Broughton et al., 2003; Katungi et al., 2009). It is the fifth most important food crop in Cameroon after wheat, maize, rice, cassava and accounts for 22% of the total protein consumed. The western highlands of Cameroon are the highest common bean producing zone of the country, with more than 90% of the national production (Anonymous, 2010). Bean production is one of the best means of mitigating food and nutrition problems experienced in most urban and rural areas in developing countries.

As food, they are cheap and consumed nationwide because of their good storage properties. Beyond promoting food, health and nutritional benefits, beans provide a steady and lucrative source of income for many rural households (Mbodiam, B.R. (2018) EU vegetables business in Cameroon).

It is important to note that the quantity of beans produced and sold varies according to the farming system, technology used and the wealth of the farming household. Nevertheless, (Chalwe, 2011) Observed that the rising demand for beans in terms of volumes sold in specific markets is not commensurate to the participation of farmers in the sector. Farmers’ cultivation of the crop is very low as compared to the available business potentials in the sub-sector. Since beans is mostly grown in the western highlands, farmers in Buea are limited in to beans cultivation and as such most of the beans sold in the Buea markets are gotten from the western highlands.

Reasons why farmers in the Buea environ don’t go in to beans cultivation are: the climatic condition of Buea which does not favor first season beans cultivation, the soil type may not favor beans cultivation since the common varieties are adapted to Foumbot soils which is different from that of Buea (personal commu.). These challenges affect overall production in terms of quantity and quality produced (Alemu and Groenwald, 2008). This is because they lack knowledge and sensitization of beans cultivation and doubt if the various bean varieties can do well in this region and as such those who go in to beans cultivation mostly cultivate but the haricot.

Aside from lacking knowledge on bean cultivation and marketing farmers in Buea also fear the pests and diseases affecting the crop which is costly to be handled. Some common diseases affecting beans are: anthracnose, bean rust, black root rot, Fusarium root rot, white mold all caused by fungi, bacterial blight, bacterial brown spot, halo blight all caused by bacteria.

Other diseases are damping-off and some viral diseases like the bean common mosaic virus (BCMV), bean common mosaic necrosis virus (BCMNV). However, incidence and severity of BCMV and BCMNV and the level or yield/performance of the different beans varieties have not been documented in the Buea municipality.

1.3 Research Hypothesis

Null hypothesis (H0)

There is no significant difference on the performance of four different cultivars of beans in Buea.

Alternative hypothesis (Ha)

There is a significant difference on the performance of four different cultivars of beans in Buea.

1.4 Objectives

Main objective

To investigate the performance of four different cultivars of beans in Buea.

Specific objectives

1. To evaluate the growth performance of four beans varieties in Buea;
2. To evaluate the yield of four bean varieties in Buea.

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