Friday, 15 May 2026
Scientists from the University of Sheffield’s Institute for Sustainable Food have engineered beans that could use up to 40 per cent less water, taking a huge step forward in the hunt to find ways to help agriculture to thrive in a rapidly changing climate.
Beans provide high-quality nutrition across Latin America, but the climate crisis is causing drought and heatwaves in the region. As a result, scientists around the world are in a race against time to create stronger, climate-resilient bean crops to support food security in the area; especially as legumes are an important staple food group in the region.
The Pod Yield Project examined the differences between the common bean and the tepary bean, a variety that has been naturally grown in Mesoamerica and Mexico for thousands of years. With its ability to be grown in semi-desert environments the team observed how the tepary bean is better suited to its environment, including its less dense stomata, the microscopic valves on its leaves which are used to control water loss and carbon dioxide intake for photosynthesis.
By manipulating the size and density of stomata, researchers at the Institute for Sustainable Food were able to engineer bean crops that can conserve more water and maintain growth under drought conditions for longer than other types of bean; making them ideal for cultivation in hotter climates.
Professor Julie Gray from the University of Sheffield’s Institute for Sustainable Food said, “Modern agriculture uses a lot of water – about 70 per cent of the global freshwater – but this resource is diminishing under climate change, and we desperately need to find new ways to allow farmers to reduce irrigation and still provide enough food for our growing population. We hope that our work will produce crops that use less water and are better suited to future warmer and drier climates.”
