Newton Award for scientists developing drought-resistant beans

Mexico, Nov. 26 (Notimex).- With the objective of benefiting the Mexican economy and future food security, as well as the welfare of the people, a research team developed new varieties of beans to combat crop losses related to drought. The research involving scientists from the University of Sheffield, England, and the Institute of Biotechnology, and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM, for its acronym in Spanish), won the "Newton Award 2018". Beans are very important for Mexico's diet, but they are also very sensitive to drought, which can cause up to 80 percent loss in yield; and climate change is making this problem worse. Seventy percent of Mexican farmers are small farmers without irrigation, which makes them particularly vulnerable to drought and climate change, according to UNAM Global. The specialists try to understand how bean plants respond to drought and carbon dioxide by adjusting their stomata (microscopic valves on the surface of the leaf that open and close). According to the first results, they found that reducing the number of stomas in beans could reduce water use in plants up to 40 percent without affecting yield; potentially saving up to three percent of all agricultural water use in Mexico. With this contribution, the team wishes to develop new varieties of high yield beans with a better use of water in drought conditions. According to the research, more than 70 percent of Mexican farmers are women. In rural drought-prone communities, women often handle water for domestic use and for agriculture and are therefore at the forefront in times of food and water insecurity. The scientific project aims to improve the socio-economic progress of farmers; improving bean yields and minimizing fertilizer use will also benefit soils, reduce desertification and improve water quality. Winning the "Newton Award, is a fantastic opportunity to increase the impact of our work in Mexico, by allowing a much larger interdisciplinary team of experts to address the problems of drought in bean agriculture and Mexican food security," said Julie Gray, professor at the University of Sheffield.   NTX/VMS/MSG/CYMA/JCG