Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), besides being an important source of nutrients such as iron, magnesium, and protein, are crucial for food security, especially in developing countries. Common bean cultivation areas commonly face production challenges due to drought occurrences, mainly during the reproductive period. Dry spells last approximately 20 days, enough time to compromise production. Hence, it is crucial to understand the genetic and molecular mechanisms that confer drought tolerance to improve common bean cultivars’ adaptation to drought. Sixty six RNASeq libraries, generated from tolerant and sensitive cultivars in drought time sourced from the R5 phenological stage at 0 to 20 days of water deficit were sequenced, generated over 1.5 billion reads, that aligned to 62,524 transcripts originating from a reference transcriptome, as well as 6673 transcripts obtained via de novo assembly. Differentially expressed transcripts were functionally annotated, revealing a variety of genes associated with molecular functions such as oxidoreductase and transferase activity, as well as biological processes related to stress response and signaling. The presence of regulatory genes involved in signaling cascades and transcriptional control was also highlighted, for example, LEA proteins and dehydrins associated with dehydration protection, and transcription factors such as WRKY, MYB, and NAC, which modulate plant response to water deficit. Additionally, genes related to membrane and protein protection, as well as water and ion uptake and transport, were identified, including aquaporins, RING-type E3 ubiquitin transferases, antioxidant enzymes such as GSTs and CYPs, and thioredoxins. This study highlights the complexity of plant response to water scarcity, focusing on the functional diversity of the genes involved and their participation in the biological processes essential for plant adaptation to water stress. The identification of regulatory and cell protection genes offers promising prospects for genetic improvement aiming at the production of common bean varieties more resistant to drought. These findings have the potential to drive sustainable agriculture, providing valuable insights to ensure food security in a context of climate change.

Coffee is a commodity of great economic importance for Brazil and for the state of Paraná. In the 1960s and 1970s, Paraná was responsible for half of coffee production in Brazil. However, after 1975, with the occurrence of what was called the “black frost” (geada negra), there was considerable reduction in the area devoted to coffee growing in Paraná. In this context, the aim of this study was to examine the spatial dynamics of coffee production in Paraná, identifying the microregions that have specialized in the activity, and analyze the evolution and spatial distribution of production in the period from 2003 to 2018. To do so, the locational quotient (LQ) method was applied, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed, and cluster analysis was carried out. A reduction in planted area and of the amount of coffee produced in Paraná was found. The results of the LQ denote changes in the spatial dynamics of coffee production, with reduction from 14 to 9 microregions specializing in the activity, and they are concentrated in the North Central and Pioneiro regions of Paraná. Two principal components that explained 88.06% of the total variability of the data were identified: the first formed by microregions with high participation in rural credit, and the second by microregions near the processing industries. Four groups were defined based on their degree of specialization, rural credit, and location of coffee industries. This trajectory implies gains in yield and reinforces the importance of investments in technology as a determining factor in development of the coffee production chain. Key words: Regional analysis; agricultural economics; value chain; technological change; structural transformation.