Breeding Annual Grain Legumes for Sustainable Agriculture: New Methods to Approach Complex Traits and Target New Cultivar Ideotypes

Abstract

Although yield and total biomass produced by annual legumes remain major objectives for breeders, other issues such as environment-friendly, resource use efficiency including symbiotic performance, resilient production in the context of climate change, adaptation to sustainable cropping systems (reducing leaching, greenhouse gas emissions and pesticide residues), adaptation to diverse uses (seeds for feed, food, non-food, forage or green manure) and finally new ecological services such as pollinator protection, imply the need for definition of new ideotypes and development of innovative genotypes to enhance their commercialization. Taken as a whole, this means more complex and integrated objectives for breeders. Several illustrations will be given of breeding such complex traits for different annual legume species. Genetic diversity for root development and for the ability to establish efficient symbioses with rhizobia and mycorrhiza can contribute to better resource management (N, P, water). Shoot architectures and phenologies can contribute to yield and biotic constraint protection (parasitic weeds, diseases or insects) reducing pesticide use. Variable maturity periods and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses are key features for the introduction of annual legumes to low input cropping systems and for enlarging cultivated area. Adaptation to intercropping requires adapted genotypes. Improved health and nutritional value for humans are key objectives for developing new markets. Modifying product composition often requires the development of specific cultivars and sometimes the need to break negative genetic correlations with yield. A holistic approach in legume breeding is important for defining objectives with farmers, processors and consumers. The cultivar structures are likely to be more complex, combining genotypes, plant species and associated symbionts. New tools to build and evaluate them are important if legumes are to deliver their exciting potential in terms of agricultural productivity and sustainability as well as for feed and food.

Yield potential Analysis of Kabuli Chickpea Genotypes in Water Stress Conditions

“…Drought impacts most of plant life aspects such as decrease performance, growht, and resistanc to other environmental stresses. Drought stress cuses pollen grain sterility [19], which is reduce plants performanc. Grain yield and seed number were decreased by drought and the genotypes with highly grain yield had also high seed number.…”

Expounding the Value of Grain Legumes in the Semi- and Arid Tropics

“…Since the 1970s, grain legume breeding focused on disease resistance, growth habit and duration in relation to increasing yields [63]. It was only post-2000 that characteristics such as drought and heat-stress tolerance and environmental adaptability (genotype × environment) became topical [64,65]. Recently, pre-breeding of some minor grain legumes indigenous to semi-and arid tropics (e.g., cowpea, pigeon pea, and chickpea) has come into light for their adaptation to drought and heat stress.…”

Association of SNP markers with agronomic and quality traits of field pea in Italy

“…High grain yield and yield stability via optimal phenology (to escape prevailing climatic stresses), tolerance to lodging and major biotic stresses, as well as high seed protein content, are key traits for pea improvement as a feed crop (Huyghe 1998;Duc et al 2015). Marker-assisted selection (MAS) may contribute to improve these complex, polygenic traits and reduce the need for costly field selection trials.…”