In terms of safe food and a healthy food supply, beans (Phaseolus spp.) are a significant source of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals especially for poor populations throughout the world. They are also rich in unsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic and oleic acids. From the past to the present, a large number of breeding studies to increase bean yield, especially the common bean (P. vulgaris L.), have resulted in the registration of many modern varieties, although quality and flavor traits in the modern varieties have been mostly ignored. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to compare protein, fat, fatty acid, and some mineral content such as selenium (Se), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) of landraces to modern varieties. The landrace LR05 had higher mineral contents, particularly Se and Zn, and protein than the modern varieties. The landrace LR11 had the highest linoleic acid. The landraces are grown by farmers in small holdings for dual uses, such as both dry seed and snap bean production, and are commercialized with a higher cash price. The landraces of the common bean are, not only treasures that need to be guarded for the future, but also important genetic resources that can be used in bean breeding programs. The results of this study suggest that landraces are essential sources of important nutritional components for food security and a healthy food supply.

The chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is usually grown under rainfed, rather than irrigated conditions, where drought accompanied by heat stress is a major growth constraint. The aim of this study was to select chickpea genotypes having resistance to drought/heat stress and to identify the most appropriate selection criteria for this. A total of 377 chickpea accessions were sown 2 months later than normal for the Antalya region (Turkey) to increase their exposure to the drought and high‐temperature conditions of a typical summer in this part of the world. Interspersed between every 10 test genotypes as benchmark genotypes, were plants of the two known genotypes ILC 3279 (drought‐susceptible) and ILC 8617 (drought‐susceptible), while ICC 4958 (known drought‐resistant) and ICCV 96029 (known very early, double‐podded) were also sown for confirmation. All plants were subsequently screened for drought and heat stress resistance. Soon after the two known susceptible genotypes had died, evaluations of the entire trial were made visually on a scale from ‘1’ (free from drought/heat damage) to ‘9’ (all plants died from drought/heat). Yield loss in many of the test genotypes and in the two known susceptible genotypes (ILC 3279 and ILC 8617) rose to 100 %. The desi chickpeas (smaller, dark seeds) were generally more drought‐ and heat‐resistant than the kabuli chickpeas (larger, pale seeds). Two desi chickpeas, ACC 316 and ACC 317, were selected for drought and heat (>40 °C) resistance under field conditions. Seed weight was the trait least affected by adverse environmental conditions and having the highest heritability, and it should be used in early breeding selections. When breeding drought‐ and heat‐resistant chickpeas, path and multivariate analyses showed that days to the first flowering and maturity to escape terminal drought and heat stresses should be evaluated ahead of many other phenological traits, and harvest index, biological yield and pods per plant for increased yield should also be considered.

About 90% of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in the world is grown under rainfed conditions where drought is one of the major constraints limiting its productivity. Unlike the cultivated chickpea, wild Cicer species possesses sources of resistance to multiple stresses; we therefore evaluated perennial wild Cicer species for resistance to drought. C. anatolicum, C. microphyllum, C. montbretii, C. oxydon and C. songaricum were compared with special checks; C. echinospermum, C. pinnatifidum and C. reticulatum and five cultivated chickpeas. After the cultivated chickpeas were killed, accessions were evaluated using a 1-5 scale, where 1 = highly drought resistant (no visible drought effect and full recovery after three successive wiltings) and 5 = highly drought susceptible (leaves and branches dried out, no recovery at all). All accessions of perennial wild Cicer species were significantly superior to those annual wild species and the cultivated chickpeas including the best drought tolerant chickpea, ICC 4958 under drought conditions. Perennial wild Cicer species did not only recover after wilting and drying out above ground level, they also tolerated high temperatures up to 41.8°C. But, they do not cross with the cultivated chickpeas. C. anatolicum should be taken account in long term breeding programs because it has closer affinities to the first crossability group than the others.

About 90% of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in the world is grown under rainfed conditions where it is subjected to drought and heat stress. Unlike the cultivated chickpea, annual wild Cicer species possess sources of resistance to multiple stress; annual wild Cicer species were therefore evaluated for resistance to drought and heat stress. Eight annual wild Cicer species (Cicer bijugum, C. chorassanicum, C. cuneatum, C. echinospermum, C. judaicum, C. pinnatifidum, C. reticulatum, and C. yamashitae) were compared with special checks, the cvs ICC 4958 and FLIP 87-59C (drought resistant) and ICCV 96029 (very early double-podded). ILC 3279 and 8617 as drought susceptible checks were sown after every 10 test lines. Yield losses due to drought and heat stress in some accessions and susceptible checks (ILC 3279 and ILC 8617) reached 100%. Accessions were evaluated for drought and heat resistance on a 1 (free from drought and heat damage)-9 (100% plant killed from drought and heat) visual scale. Four accessions of C. reticulatum and one accession of C. pinnatifidum were found to be as resistant to drought and heat stress (up to 41.8°C) as the best checks. C. reticulatum should be taken account in short term breeding programs since it can be crossed with the cultivated chickpea.

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Background and objectives: Ancient wheat species, einkorn and emmer wheat, are potential healthy food sources for their vitamin and element contents. The aim of this study was to evaluate some elements and vitamin A and B complex of 36 einkorn and 49 emmer wheat advanced lines tested under field conditions. Findings: The results showed that some emmer wheat lines were extremely higher than those from einkorn and durum wheat checks for microelements. The mean concentrations of Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, and Se of the emmer wheat lines were found to be 41.72 AE 3.57, 17.06 AE 0.63, 2.85 AE 0.15, 18.11 AE 0.71, and 0.05 AE 0.00 mg/kg, respectively. In addition, the means of A, B1, B2, B5, and B6 concentrations were determined as 65.48 AE 2.39 lg/kg, 4.22 AE 0.13 mg/kg, 0.36 AE 0.05 mg/kg, 3.60 AE 0.21 mg/kg, and 2.06 AE 0.09 mg/kg, respectively. Conclusions: The emmer wheat lines of 24, 43, 44, and 53 for elemental and 3, 4, 11, 17, and 24 for vitamin A and B complex can be selected for enrichment of the wheat products. Significance and novelty: Superiority of emmer wheat lines in terms of micronutrients and vitamin A and B complex compared to einkorn lines and durum wheat cultivars was obviously demonstrated. K E Y W O R D S einkorn, elements, emmer wheat, vitamins

Yield and yield components is one of the key objectives of the legume breeding program worldwide. Information on these traits is required for the selection of desirable types and efficient utilization of the genetic diversity in dry bean improvement program. Local landraces of dry beans grown over long time period are more resistant to low input growing conditions its genetic and morphologic properties and quality is more acceptable by the growers. From this perspective, 83 dry bean landraces were collected from different bean growing areas of Western Anatolia Region of Turkey in 2015-2016. The dry bean landraces were grown on the experimental farm of Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bolu during 2016 growing season. A single plant from each dry bean landrace was selected according to morphological characterization results and weighted scaling method, and twenty (8 climber and 12 bush types) dry bean lines were accepted as promising. In the present study, yield and yield components of 12 dry bean lines and 2 commercial cultivars were compared in Bolu province under western black sea ecological condition of Turkey. The experiment was arranged in a Randomized Block Design with three replicates in 2017 growing season on the experimental farm of Abant Izzet Baysal University. Emergence percentage (69.50-96.00%), days to flowering 50% (48.00-52.00 days), days to maturity (86.00-107.33 days), plant height (37.20-58.30 cm), height to first pod (12.50-19.00 cm), number of branches per plant (6.25-8.25), number of pods per plant (16.96-41.50 pods), seeds per pod (4.00-6.40 seeds), seed yield per plant (25.41-96.83 g plant-1) and 100 seeds weight (29.82-55.35 g) were determined according to IPGRI and EU-CPVO criteria. As a result, lines ÇNK-2, ÇNK-4, YLV-28, YLV-32 and BLCK-7 had superior with respect to yield and yield components and hence selected advanced promising lines will be transferred to regional yield trials required for the official procedures of cultivar registration.

Gene flow via outcrossing from transgenic plants to relatives will be one of the most important concerns to grow of the transgenic chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in European Union (EU). This report is therefore focused on spontaneous outcrossing rate in chickpea. A total of 39 kabuli type mutants with white flower and one desi type with pink flower were grown to estimate spontaneous outcrossing rate. Outcrossing rate ranged from 0.0 to 1.25% in mutant materials. Since labelling threshold for transgenic contamination in food and feed in EU is 0.9%, outcrossing rate of 1.25% is higher than threshold of 0.9% in EU, and this result suggests that cultivation of transgenic chickpea will be under high risk to be contaminated chickpeas in neighbourhood fields.