N2Africa Podcaster 54

Soil fertility depletion ranks as the most important drawback to crop productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. On-farm experiments were conducted during the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 seasons to explore the effect of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and rhizobia inoculation on biological nitrogen fixation, yields, nutritional and mineral components of common bean in smallholder farming areas of Eastern Zimbabwe. Two improved common bean cultivars (Gloria and NUA45), widely grown in Zimbabwe were tested in a split-plot arranged in randomized complete block design.

Although beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are known as a women’s crop, women still receive limited financial benefits and control over the incomes from their efforts. This study was conducted in Kabale District to establish gender based factors influencing men and women farmers‟ participation in the market segment of climbing beans.