Breeding European Legumes for Increased Sustainability (BELIS) Project WP4 - Periodic Report

Abstract

ICARDA evaluated diverse, genotyped panels of faba bean (300 accessions), lentil (300 accessions), and common vetch (280 accessions) across contrasting environments in Terbol, Lebanon (high rainfall) and Marchouch, Morocco (low rainfall/drought) during 2023–2024. In faba bean, significant variation was detected for phenology, plant height, yield components, and seed traits. Principal component analysis (PCA) explained 52.3% of variance at Terbol and 62.1% at Marchouch, with seed size traits and grain yield contributing most to diversity. Accessions were also screened for Ascochyta blight, chocolate spot, rust, and orobanche resistance.

For lentil, wide and highly significant variation was observed for flowering, maturity, biological and seed yield, and seed weight across both sites. Screening at Marchouch revealed substantial diversity for orobanche resistance.

In common vetch, significant variability was found for flowering time, maturity, yield, and yield components. PCA explained 56.4% of total variation, highlighting seed yield and pod number as key contributors. Results support future genomic selection efforts with CSIC.