Improved Production Systems for Common Bean in South-Central Uganda L.H. Goettsch*1, A. Lenssen1, R. Mazur1, R. Yost2, O. Semalulu3, and M. Tenywa4 1Iowa State University, USA, 2University of Hawai’i, USA, 3National Agricultural Research Organisation, Uganda, 4Makerere University, Uganda INTRODUCTION http://gl2016conf.iita.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Conference-Poster-Guidelines.pdf Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important food source to Ugandans supplying 15% of their dietary protein, with consumption exceeding 11 kg person-1 year-1. Unfortunately, bean production in Uganda has a yield gap of about 75%. The main constraints that limit bean production include poor agronomic practices, soil infertility, lack of seed from improved cultivars, moisture stress, weed competition, and damage caused by pests and diseases. Development of improved management systems is needed to alleviate these constraints and improve grain yield. OBJECTIVES PRODUCTION RESULTS Compare the grain yield results of four bean varieties grown under a conventional and two improved management systems in order to determine which variety and system combination is the most productive and profitable in this environment. CFS IFS HIS Conventional System Improved System Improved System MATERIALS & METHODS A field experiment was conducted on two soils during the long rainy season of 2014 (2014LR) and short rainy season of 2015 (2015SR) near Masaka, Uganda. The black soil is described as a Phaeozem using the FAO/UNESCO soil legend and Hapludoll using USDA soil taxonomy. The red soil is described as a Ferralsol using the FAO/UNESCO soil legend and as an Eutrudox using USDA soil taxonomy. The experimental design was a RCB in a split-plot arrangement with four replicates. Management system was the whole-plot factor and included the Conventional Farmer System (CFS), Improved Farmer System (IFS), and High Input System (HIS). The subplots included two new and improved varieties, NABE 14 and NABE 15, and two older conventional varieties, K132 and NABE 4. Subplot size was six meters by four meters. BLACK SOIL NABE 14 (New) NABE 15 (New) K132 (Old) NABE 4 (Old) ECONOMIC RESULTS RED SOIL BLACK SOIL Figures 1-3. Variety means within system and rainy season followed by the same letter, or no letter, are not different at P=0.05. System × Rainy season combinations followed by the same letter are not different at P=0.05. CONCLUSIONS & FUTURE WORK Grain yields increased as management level was increased. Increased management level in the 2014LR season was profitable in some cases but was never profitable in the 2015SR season. The NABE 14 bean variety frequently produced greater grain yields than the other three varieties within each of the three management systems. Future research should consider testing a range of lime rates on red soil, increased seeding rate under CFS, and newly available bean germplasm with greater tolerance of low pH soil. Figure 1. The interaction of management system × cultivar × rainy season was significant. RED SOIL   Economic Return to Labor and Management Management System CFS $40 b IFS ($812) b HIS ($1057) c   Economic Return to Labor and Management Rainy Season 2014LR ($491) a 2015SR ($728) b ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We gratefully acknowledge funding for this project from US Borlaug Fellows in Global Food Security Program and USAID Feed the Future Legume Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Grain Legumes – project on ‘Farmer Decision Making Strategies for Improved Soil Fertility Management in Maize-Bean Production Systems.’ Appreciation is also extended to Paul Otyama, John Lutaakome, the Mukiibis, and the Kiriibwas for assistance with field work and data collection. Tables 1-2. The economic return to labor and management varied for system and rainy season. Contact: Lance Goettsch lancehg@iastate.edu