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This paper reviews the adaption to heat and drought stresses inPhaseolus vulgaris, a grain and vegetable crop widely grown in both the Old and New World. Substantial genotypic differences are found in morphophysiological characteristics such as phenology, partitioning, plant-water relations, photosynthetic parameters, and shoot growth, which are related to reproductive responses. The associations between (a) days to podding and leaf water content and (b) the number of pods per plant and seed yield are consistent across different environments and experiments. Leaf water content is maintained by reductions in leaf water potential and shoot extension in response to heat and drought stress. Heat-tolerant cultivars have higher biomass allocation to pods and higher pod set in branches. These traits can be used as a marker to screen germplasm for heat and drought tolerance. In this paper, we briefly review the results of our studies carried out on heat and drought tolerance in the common bean at the Tropical Agriculture Research Front, Ishigaki, Japan.

In recent years there has been considerable pressure in agriculture to reduce chemical pesticides and to look for their better alternatives. The plant kingdom is recognized as the most efficient producer of different biologically active compounds, which provide them with resistance against different pests. Some higher plant products have been currently formulated as botanical pesticides and are used on a large scale as ecofriendly and biodegradable measures in managing agricultural pests. Botanicals used in agricultural pest management are safer to the user and the environment. The interest in the possible use of natural compounds to control agricultural pests has notably increased in response to consumer pressure to reduce or eliminate chemically synthesized additives in foods. There is a wide scope of use of plant-based pesticides in the integrated management of different agricultural pests. A consolidated and continuous search of natural products may yield safer alternative control measures comparable to azadirachtin and pyrethryoids, which are being used in different part of the world as ideal natural fungicides. The products from higher plants are safe and economical and would be in high demand in the global pesticide market because of their diverse mode of application.