Bruchids are specialized weevils that feed on legume seeds. These insects are a difficult problem for subsistence farmers who grow beans throughout the world but particularly in Africa. This article summarizes our three decade long, but successful, program to breed weevil resistance into the common bean.Legumes are critical for the human food supply. Unfortunately, legumes also provide food for weevils, shelter for their eggs, and space for their larval development. The bruchids puncture the beans and lay their eggs. As the weevils grow, legume seed quality and viability become severely compromised (Figure 1). The seed perforations damage the embryo and create points of entry for pathogens. The culinary quality of the harvest is diminished. Globally, production losses in beans can be as high as 48 due to bruchids (Slumpa and Ampofo, 1991).
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