Kelvin Kamfwa, senior lecturer and breeder at the University of Zambia (UNZA), and Swivia Hamabwe, staff development fellow at UNZA, in a bean field.

Urrea provided technical assistance to install two Mattson cookers and ran six dry bean samples soaked the previous day.

The students (from left) Bethel Njobvu, Mukuni Nkandela, Rabecca Thole, Swivia Hamabwe, and Kuwabo Kuwabo were careful while installing the cookers. Several UNZA faculty from the plant science and food science departments also visited the lab to learn about the Mattson cookers. Part of the project’s goals are to determine if the resistance trait affects the length of cooking and yield of the dry beans, as both are desirable to the consumer and farmer.

On April 20, Urrea visited Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust, Chisamba Farm, with Kamfwa and Hamabwe. The trio toured the dry bean field trials comprised of the diversity panels, recombinant inbred lines population, and the advanced yield trials. In the advanced yield trial for navies, the navy line N17505 showed drought/heat tolerance and performed well across all sites in the field. They also visited the soybean breeding program nursery. Overall, soybeans showed more resilience than dry beans to drought stress.

The trio visited the AgriTech Expo in the afternoon at the Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust, Chisamba Farm. Several agricultural-related companies exhibited a wide range of their products, including chemicals, varieties, animal breeds, machinery and technical skills. Most of the varieties were exhibited through the demo plots. They interacted with marketing personnel for several companies, including Good Nature Agro (GNA), a collaborating company on the project.

On April 21, eight additional tests were done cooking bean samples with the team that was present during installation. UNZA faculty Kuwabo Kuwabo, Tobias Alubi, and Swivia Hamabwe visited the lab to learn about Mattson cookers. Some experiences and tips while working with Mattson cookers were shared. For example, saving the cooking time data in hard and soft copy was emphasized, as was the use of gloves when handling hot water.

In the afternoon, a guided tour was made by Thole and Hamabwe to the greenhouse where the cross-breeding is done and the early-generation populations are grown. Urrea visited the seed storage facilities, where seed processing and storage are done. A team of interns was found processing recently harvested seed for weevil-resistant lines developed by the project.

After working with Kamfwa’s team and making new friends, Urrea headed back to the states on April 25, returning home to the Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff.