Effects of Drought on Yield and Nutraceutical Properties of Beans (Phaseolus spp.) Traditionally Cultivated in Veneto, Italy

Abstract

Beans are often grown in regions with climates that are susceptible to drought during the cultivation period. Consequently, it is important to identify bean accessions tolerant to drought conditions and assess the effect of drought on seeds’ nutraceutical properties. This study evaluated the effect of drought during different development stages (NES = never stressed; ALS = always stressed; SBF = stressed before flowering; SAF = stressed after flowering) on the yield and nutraceutical properties of six local bean varieties: Fasolo del Diavolo, Gialet, Posenati, Secle, D’oro, and Maron. Analysis of variance indicated that Gialet was not significantly affected by drought treatments, and Posenati under SBF and NES treatments had greater yields than under ALS and SAF treatments, whereas Secle under SBF produced 80% more seeds than under NES. Total phenols, antioxidant capacity, and calcium content were significantly different among the local varieties. Yield was significantly and positively correlated with seed calcium content and significantly and negatively correlated with protein, total phenols, and antioxidant capacity. The interaction between local varieties and treatment significantly affected seeds’ Zn content. Gialet and Maron seeds’ Zn contents were about 60 mg kg−1, almost double the average of commercial varieties. In summary, this study paves the way to the identification of potential bean varieties resistant to drought. Further molecular studies will help support these findings.

Molecular Hallmarks, Agronomic Performances and Seed Nutraceutical Properties to Exploit Neglected Genetic Resources of Common Beans Grown by Organic Farming in Two Contrasting Environments

“…A similar negative correlation between the yield and protein was found in other recent studies ( Kazai et al, 2019 ; Bulyaba et al, 2020 ). The negative correlation between yield and protein content can be explained by the dilution effect of a greater carbohydrate content and reduced nitrogen in the endosperm ( Davis et al, 2004 ; Sica et al, 2021 ). The starch content had a wider range than the protein content, from 14.12 to 35.25%, and the environment had a significant effect on the starch content of the dwarf accessions, which was significantly greater in Asiago.…”

“…Maron also has high contents of total phenols and antioxidant activity, and its seed characteristics can increase its commercial value. Sica et al (2021) assessed the effect of drought on the yield and nutraceutical properties of these five landraces and found out that Gialet’s yield was not significantly affected by drought and Seclè’s yield increased under drought conditions during the vegetative phase. In addition, the zinc content of Gialet’s and Maron’s seeds was equal to about 60 mg kg –1 , which is two times greater than the average content scored by commercial varieties.…”

Italian Tomato Cultivars under Drought Stress Show Different Content of Bioactives in Pulp and Peel of Fruits

“…This requires the identification and use of species/cultivars best adapted to their growing area. Indeed, local cultivars are a source of unique genetic traits derived from adaptation to their area of origin, are often more resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses, and have high content of phytochemicals beneficial to human health [25][26][27]. In Italy, several tomato cultivars are present, adapted to growing environments and selected for agronomic traits of interest, such as productivity, transportation durability, and marketability [28].…”

Molecular Relationships and Genetic Diversity Analysis of Venetian Radicchio (Leaf Chicory, Cichorium intybus subsp. intybus var. sylvestre, 2n = 2x = 18) Biotypes

“…That said, radicchio is one of the most important horticultural crop plants of the Triveneto territory in north-eastern Italy [5,7,10]. It represents a cultural and agricultural heritage for local people, similar to corn [11] and barley [12] among the cereal grains, common bean [13] for legumes, and grapevine [14] and olive [15] among crop trees, which has long cultural traditions and for which regional productions they are dependent not only on modern varieties but also, if not mainly, on local cultivars and landraces.…”