Dr Clare Mukankusi, a common bean breeder at the alliance of Diversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), joins us to explain how collaboration in plant breeding can result in practical improvements for a crop’s end-user.  

In this episode of the Plant Breeding Stories podcast, Clare shares how a missed opportunity changed her career trajectory from the medical sciences to plant sciences. She details why the common bean is one of the most critical food legumes globally and highlights its crucial importance as a significant source of protein, zinc and iron in diets across Africa. Clare discusses how research and collaboration across-disciplines improves common bean breeding outcomes for practical uses, including producing beans with faster cooking times.

CIAT: https://ciat.cgiar.org/
Pan African Bean Research Alliance: https://ciat.cgiar.org/pabra/
Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture : https://alliancebioversityciat.org/
Transcript - www.PBSInternational.com/podcast

S3 E6 Plant Breeding Stories - Clare Mukankusi

Plant Breeding Stories spotlights the individuals within the plant breeding world.  We talk to breeders, scientists and entrepreneurs looking at what they do, what makes them tick, and what fascinates them about the world of plants.  We’ll be highlighting some of the challenges faced in agriculture today, including government regulations, climate change, and changing consumer demands. 

The show is hosted by Hannah Senior of PBS International – world leaders in pollination control.  PBS International design and produce specialist pollination bags and tents used by plant breeders and seed producers all around the world. 

Hannah shares some unique perspectives given by key industry influencers about how plant breeding affects our diets, farming systems and the environment.