Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the government of Tanzania, the Common Bean Virus Diseases Project (CBVDP) worked with agricultural research institutes from 2014 to 2018 to describe the molecular structure and epidemiology of common bean plant viruses, and develop diagnostic and detection tools. The common bean is an important legume crop in Tanzania as a cheap nutritional source and vital cash crop. But its production is constrained by insect pests, diseases and droughts that lower yield by up to a third. It is particularly vulnerable to the Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) and Bean common mosaic necrosis virus (BCMNV). CBVDP aimed to establish scientific understanding of viral diseases affecting the common bean to prepare the ground for better crop management, boosting yields and livelihoods across the country.

At project completion, Dr Deusdedith Mbanzibwa (Principal Agricultural Research Officer) reflects on how the project laid the foundations for a scientific understanding of common bean viruses in Tanzania.