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Evaluation of physiological traits for improving drought tolerance in faba bean (Vicia faba L.)

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Abstract

Among grain legumes, faba bean is becoming increasingly popular in European agriculture due to recent economic and environmental interests. Faba bean can be a highly productive crop, but it is sensitive to drought stress and yields can vary considerably from season to season. Understanding the physiological basis of drought tolerance would indicate traits that can be used as indirect selection criteria for the development of cultivars adapted to drought conditions. To assess genotypic variation in physiological traits associated with drought tolerance in faba bean and to determine relationships among these attributes, two pot experiments were established in a growth chamber using genetic materials that had previously been screened for drought response in the field. Nine inbred lines of diverse genetic backgrounds were tested under adequate water supply and limited water conditions. The genotypes showed substantial variation in shoot dry matter, water use, stomatal conductance, leaf temperature, transpiration efficiency, carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C), relative water content (RWC) and osmotic potential, determined at pre-flowering vegetative stage. Moisture deficits decreased water usage and consequently shoot dry matter production. RWC, osmotic potential, stomatal conductance and Δ13C were lower, whereas leaf temperature and transpiration efficiency were higher in stressed plants, probably due to restricted transpirational cooling induced by stomatal closure. Furthermore, differences in stomatal conductance, leaf temperature, Δ13C and transpiration efficiency characterized genotypes that were physiologically more adapted to water deficit conditions. Correlation analysis also showed relatively strong relationships among these variables under well watered conditions. The drought tolerant genotypes, ILB-938/2 and Melodie showed lower stomatal conductance associated with warmer leaves, whereas higher stomatal conductance and cooler leaves were observed in sensitive lines (332/2/91/015/1 and Aurora/1). The lower value of Δ13C coupled with higher transpiration efficiency in ILB-938/2, relative to sensitive lines (Aurora/1 and Condor/3), is indeed a desirable characteristic for water-limited environments. Finally, the results showed that stomatal conductance, leaf temperature and Δ13C are promising physiological indicators for drought tolerance in faba bean. These variables could be measured in pot-grown plants at adequate water supply and may serve as indirect selection criteria to pre-screen genotypes.

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Abbreviations

Δ13C:

Carbon isotope discrimination

RWC:

Relative water content

TE:

Transpiration efficiency

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Acknowledgements

This work was carried out with the financial support of EU that was provided under project QLK5-CT-2002-02307 “Faba bean Breeding for Sustainable Agriculture”, acronym EUFABA. Technical assistance of Robert Hooton and Fiona Bowers for this work is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Applied Sciences, University of Wolverhampton, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1SB, UK

    Habib ur Rahman Khan & T. J. Hocking

  2. Department of Applied Biology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    F. L. Stoddard

  3. Institute of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, von Siebold Straße 8, 37075, Göttingen, Germany

    W. Link

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  1. Habib ur Rahman Khan
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  2. W. Link
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  3. T. J. Hocking
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  4. F. L. Stoddard
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Correspondence to Habib ur Rahman Khan.

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Khan, H.R., Link, W., Hocking, T.J. et al. Evaluation of physiological traits for improving drought tolerance in faba bean (Vicia faba L.). Plant Soil 292, 205–217 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-007-9217-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-007-9217-5

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