This part describes a European Union sponsored research project involving participants in Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Chile, Colombia and Bolivia. The main objective of this project is to contribute to the sustainable improvement in crop production in poor and marginal areas of South America. This will be achieved by selecting for genotypes able to reach optimum productivity under abiotic stress. The target crop will be the leguminous plant, Phaseolus vulgaris L. (bean), a crop very important both to small farms and agro-industrial enterprises not only in developing countries, but also in Europe. The project will be focused on the identification of genotypes with different capacities to use solar radiation in photosynthesis and in photomorphogenesis.

Top left. Seeds from 4 of the bean varieties (Pinto 114, Tortola, Arroz tuscola and Orfeo) used during this study. Top right. A single bean plant in the field with its leaves in the open position. Bottom left. A field site in Bolivia used for the project. Bottom right. A field of bean plants in Chile.