Dryland Beans: Plant KALRO Dry Land Beans to Reduce Poverty and Raise Incomes in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands

Abstract

Beans are the most widely used pulses in the dry lands. They are grown in low, dry and warmer areas and are a major source of proteins in cereal-based diets. Large amounts of beansare sold locally in urban centres and are alsoexported in green, dried and processed forms. Majority of beans fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, thus contributing significantly to the sustainability of soil fertility in the dry lands, cropping systems and hence reduce the requirements for inorganic fertilizers.