Counting the beans: quantifying the adoption of improved mungbean varieties in South Asia and Myanmar

Abstract

The adoption of improved varieties is an important indicator of the effectiveness of agricultural research. This study quantified the adoption of improved mungbean (Vigna radiata (L). Wilczek) varieties and agricultural practices in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and Pakistan using an expert elicitation approach. Data were collected from 19 expert panels, organized at subnational levels and involving a total of 259 mungbean experts. The study found that improved varieties were planted on 94% of the mungbean area in Pakistan, 89% in Myanmar, 82% in India and 72% in Bangladesh. International mungbean breeding research conducted by the World Vegetable Center has had a major impact with its germplasm adopted by an estimated 1.2 million mungbean farmers and grown on 1.8 million hectares of land. Widespread variation in the adoption of improved technologies at subnational levels point to opportunities for increased mungbean yields such as the adoption of line sowing and mechanical harvesting, the use of seed treatments with biofertilizers and biopesticides, and the adoption of better varieties with more comprehensive disease resistance.