Genetic variability and genome-wide association analysis of flavor and texture in cooked beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Abstract

Key message Cooked bean flavor and texture vary within and across 20 Andean seed types; SNPs are significantly associated with total flavor, beany, earthy, starchy, bitter, seed-coat perception, and cotyledon texture. Abstract Common dry beans are a nutritious food recognized as a staple globally, but their consumption is low in the USA. Improving bean flavor and texture through breeding has the potential to improve consumer acceptance and suitability for new end-use products. Little is known about genetic variability and inheritance of bean sensory characteristics. A total of 430 genotypes of the Andean Diversity Panel representing twenty seed types were grown in three locations, and cooked seeds were evaluated by a trained sensory panel for flavor and texture attribute intensities, including total flavor, beany, vegetative, earthy, starchy, sweet, bitter, seed-coat perception, and cotyledon texture. Extensive variation in sensory attributes was found across and within seed types. A set of genotypes was identified that exhibit extreme attribute intensities generally stable across all three environments. seed-coat perception and total flavor intensity had the highest broad-sense heritability (0.39 and 0.38, respectively), while earthy and vegetative intensities exhibited the lowest (0.14 and 0.15, respectively). Starchy and sweet flavors were positively correlated and highest in white bean genotypes according to principal component analysis. SNPs associated with total flavor intensity (six SNPs across three chromosomes), beany (five SNPs across four chromosomes), earthy (three SNPs across two chromosomes), starchy (one SNP), bitter (one SNP), seed-coat perception (three SNPs across two chromosomes), and cotyledon texture (two SNPs across two chromosomes) were detected. These findings lay a foundation for incorporating flavor and texture in breeding programs for the development of new varieties that entice growers, consumers, and product developers alike.

QTL Mapping of Seed Quality Traits Including Cooking Time, Flavor, and Texture in a Yellow Dry Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Population

“…The broad-sense heritability for cooking time was moderately high in this study, as was the case for previous reports looking at both broad-sense and narrow-sense heritability (Elia et al, 1997;Jacinto-Hernandez et al, 2003;Cichy et al, 2019;Bassett et al, 2020b). This supports the idea that marker-assisted selection for fast cooking time may be feasible with few molecular markers.…”

“…The species encompasses many different market classes grown and consumed around the world with many regional preferences ( Siddiq and Uebersax, 2012 ). There is variability not just for seed size, color, and shape, but also end-use quality attributes, including cooking time, mineral concentration and bioavailability, color, flavor, and texture ( Katuuramu et al, 2018 ; Bassett et al, 2020b ). Some market classes may be of particular interest to modern consumers looking to incorporate beans into their diets for their nutritional benefits and also looking for convenience not typically associated with dry beans considering their often long cooking times ( Sloan, 2015 ).…”

“…While United States dry bean breeders have always prioritized quality traits, they primarily have focused on seed size, shape, color, and canning quality and production-related traits with minor if any consideration for cooking time and flavor ( Kelly and Cichy, 2012 ). As a result, genetic variability exists for cooking time, flavor, and texture in modern cultivars as well as the breeding lines used for their development ( Bassett et al, 2020b ). There is an opportunity to address these consumer-valued traits through breeding to increase dry bean consumption, and Manteca beans are an ideal target for this effort, as they already excel in these traits and provide novelty to those unfamiliar with them.…”

“…Following screening of 206 accessions of the Andean Diversity Panel (ADP), several significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with cooking time were identified on Pv02, Pv03, and Pv06 ( Cichy et al, 2015b ). A more recent screening of 430 accessions of the ADP revealed additional significant SNPs on Pv03, Pv04, Pv06, Pv07, Pv08, and Pv11 ( Bassett et al, 2020b ). In addition, a recent quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping study using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population developed from two ADP accessions revealed QTL for cooking time on Pv01, Pv02, Pv03, Pv05, Pv06, Pv10, and Pv11 ( Berry et al, 2020 ).…”

“…A few studies have identified genetic variability for sensory attributes, including flavor and texture acceptability, seed-coat perception, seed-coat roughness, cotyledon mealiness, and beany flavor intensity ( Koehler et al, 1987 ; Rivera et al, 2013 ). A recent study identified genetic variability in the Andean Diversity Panel (ADP) for total, beany, vegetative, earthy, starchy, bitter, and sweet flavor intensities as well as seed-coat perception and cotyledon texture ( Bassett et al, 2020b ). Using a genome-wide association approach, significant SNPs were identified for many of these traits.…”