Breeding Strategy for Faba Bean in Southern Europe based on Cultivar Responses across Climatically Contrasting Environments

Abstract

Expanding grain legume cropping is desirable but is hindered by low yields. Seventeen faba bean (Vicia faba L.) cultivars belonging to four germplasm types—Mediterranean (from Sicily or Syria), semi‐Mediterranean (from continental Italy or Spain), winter, and spring (from France or Germany)—were grown in two climatically contrasting sites (Lodi, subcontinental; Foggia, Mediterranean), two years per site and two sowing times per year, to support breeding strategies by assessing genotype × environment (GE) interactions and their relationship with spatial and temporal factors, germplasm type, and morphophysiological traits. Crossover GE interaction was large and mainly due to the geoclimatic area and the germplasm type. Additive main effects and multiplicative interaction modeling showed (i) the superiority of Mediterranean material across Foggia's environments (all autumn sown), (ii) a trend toward better performance of winter germplasm in Lodi under autumn sowing, and (iii) the similar performance of winter, spring, and semi‐Mediterranean types in Lodi under late‐winter sowing. Adaptation to each site was related to different and partly incompatible traits, owing mainly to site‐specific optima of earliness of cycle and stress tolerance. The results support the specific breeding for each geoclimatic area based on distinct genetic bases and selection environments.

Identificación de poblaciones sobresalientes de haba colectadas en el Estado de México

“…Annicchiarico and Iannucci (2008) found highly significant differences between G, between A and G x A interaction. These results indicate that there is a phenotypic variation among populations that could be used in breeding programs, as suggested by Suso et al (1993), El-Zaher and Mustafa (2007), Duc et al (2010) and Yahia et al (2012).…”

“…Neal and McVetty (1983) concluded that seed weight is determined by the number of pods, number of seeds per pod and weight of 100 seeds and Terzopoulos et al (2003) attributes this to the number of pods per plant, number of ovules and seeds per pod, or to branches number and weight per plant (De Costa et al, 1997). In addition, these were influenced by the genotype (G), environment (A) and by the interaction (G x A) (Annicchiarico and Iannucci, 2008). SNG is a rainfed region but the timely establishment of rainfall contributed to the cultivar to better express agronomic characteristics and its andosol soils have excellent drainage conditions (García, 1988).…”

“…The phenotypic expression and the heritability of grain weight and other characteristics depend on the genotype (G), environment (A) and G x A interaction (Annicchiarico andIannucci, 2008, Diaz et al, 2008). The magnitude of these variations allows designing strategies to improve and enhance the response to selection.…”

Estabilidad del rendimiento de 36 cultivares de haba colectadas en el Estado de México

“…The highly significant differences (p= 0.01) than were detected in Table 3, 4 and 5 indicate that at least two locations or between two cultivars there are real differences in grain yield and the behavior of beans varied depending on the environments; They also suggest that the five towns in the Central Estado de Mexico are very heterogeneous, that there is sufficient genetic variability among 36 cultivars of bean and the IGA difficult to identify cultivars greater performance and stability, making it possible that some of the cultivars have better adaptation to a specific environment (Annicchiarico and Iannucci, 2008;Yahia et al, 2012;Flores et al, 2013;Temesgen et al, 2015), very common situation for the Valles Altos the Mexico, where there is great environmental heterogeneity (González et al, 2010;Pérez et al, 2014).…”

“…The significant IGA may limit the identification of superior genotypes Yan and Kang, 2003;Annicchiarico and Iannucci, 2008;Gauch et al, 2008;Yahia et al, 2012;Pérez et al, 2015), mega-environments favorable or optimal technological packages that contribute to increasing the income of farmers (Annicchiarico, 1997;Flores et al, 2013;Temesgen et al, 2015).…”