Assessment of Farmers’ Indigenous Knowledge and Preferences: A Tool for Sustainable Lablab Bean (Lablab purpureus. L. Sweet) Improvement and Utilization in Northern Tanzania

Participatory farmers’ selection of preferred lablab bean (Lablab purpureus L. Sweet) was conducted in Moshi Rural, Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania to identify farmers preferred traits and accessions. An experimental plot was laid down in augmented block design where a total of 41 accessions including the local check (Katumani) and improved variety (HA4) were sown in three blocks at the spacing of 75 cm x 40 cm. Semi-structured questionnaire and checklists were prepared to gather the farmers’ preferences and knowledge as well as factors for lablab crop abandonment. The factors for crop abandonment identified were unavailability of quality and improved varieties, low yield, the high cost of agro-chemicals, the presence of diseases and insect pests. In this study, farmers’ selection criteria of the accessions were resistance to diseases and insect pest, the number of pods per plant, early maturity, high yielding capacity, seed colourand size. The results showed that accessions D163 scored higher votes followed by D137, D88, D27, D85, D155, D7, D159, and D151 while the least preferred accession was D140 with Garrets’ mean score of 50.11, 50.06, 50.05, 50.02, 50.00, 49.88, 49.77, 49.59, 49.56 and 49.52, respectively. Farmers’ ranked traits to be incorporated for future bean breeding in order of importance as; high yielding, better taste, earliness and short cooking time. Therefore, successful selection of germplasm through participatory research can raise awareness, adoption, and utilization of the lablab crop which change the portfolio of varieties available in the area and open the new door for plant breeders.