Call: Center for the Promotion of Science

Period: 2025-2027.

Project leader: Dr. Mirko Đorđević, Department of Evolutionary Biology IBISS

Participants:
Dr. Uroš Savković, Department of Evolutionary Biology
Dr. Sanja Budečević, Department of Evolutionary Biology
Dr. Milica Milutinović, Department of Plant Physiology
Zorica Janković, Administrative and Legal Service.

Abstract

The characterization and maintenance of food-legume genetic resources and their use in breeding are central to the development of sustainable agriculture, agrobiodiversity, conservation, climate change mitigation and human health. In addition, the detection of legume pests and estimation of their prevalence are vital to the success of any eradication or control program. Using an interdisciplinary and participatory approach, the citizen science project “Bean & Beetle – Citizens Unveil Genetic Diversity” aims to reveal the distribution and genetic variation of the common bean landraces and its pest – the seed beetle. This will be achieved in partnership with our key stakeholders – schoolchildren, organic farmers and citizens – who will collect plant and insect material from different locations, grow and evaluate bean landraces in their gardens or pots. Moreover, citizen science activities will help us raise the public awareness of the importance of plant conservation and pest monitoring.