Abstract

Seed shattering in crops is a key domestication trait due to its relevance for seed dispersal, yield, and fundamental questions in evolution (e.g., convergent evolution). Here, we focused on pod shattering in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), the most important legume crop for human consuption in the world. With this main aim, we developed a methodological pipeline that comprises a thorough characterization under field conditions, including also the chemical composition and histological analysis of the pod valves. The pipeline was developed based on the assumption that the shattering trait itself can be treated in principle as a “syndrome” (i.e., a set of correlated different traits) at the pod level. We characterized a population of 267 introgression lines that were developed ad-hoc to study shattering in common bean. Three main objectives were sought: (1) to dissect the shattering trait into its “components,” of level (percentage of shattering pods per plant) and mode (percentage of pods with twisting or non-twisting valves); (2) to test whether shattering is associated to the chemical composition and/or the histological characteristics of the pod valves; and (3) to test the associations between shattering and other plant traits. We can conclude the following: Very high shattering levels can be achieved in different modes; shattering resistance is mainly a qualitative trait; and high shattering levels is correlated with high carbon and lignin contents of the pod valves and with specific histological charaterstics of the ventral sheath and the inner fibrous layer of the pod wall. Our data also suggest that shattering comes with a “cost,” as it is associated with low pod size, low seed weight per pod, high pod weight, and low seed to pod-valves ratio; indeed, it can be more exaustively described as a syndrome at the pod level. Our work suggests that the valve chemical composition (i.e., carbon and lignin content) can be used for a high troughput phenotyping procedures for shattering phenotyping. Finally, we believe that the application of our pipeline will greatly facilitate comparative studies among legume crops, and gene tagging.

Highlights

  • The loss of seed shattering occurred independently in several crops and in different areas of the world during the domestication of many food crops, as this loss was crucial for adaptation of the plants to the agro-ecosystem, to provide ancient farmers with easier and more abundant harvests (Tang et al, 2013)

  • Among the legume crops, indehiscent phenotypes emerged in soybean and common bean, which were domesticated in the Old World and the New World, respectively (Hymowitz, 1970; Harlan, 1992; Bitocchi et al, 2012; Schmutz et al, 2014)

  • Fully indehiscent phenotype emerged in common bean only after domestication with the development of snap varieties that are used for the production of green beans due to the absence of fiber strings along the pod valves

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Summary

Introduction

The loss of seed shattering occurred independently in several crops and in different areas of the world during the domestication of many food crops, as this loss was crucial for adaptation of the plants to the agro-ecosystem, to provide ancient farmers with easier and more abundant harvests (Tang et al, 2013). Non-shattering/indehiscent types emerged in maize, barley, and rice (see Li and Olsen, 2016, for a review). Maize was domesticated in the New World, in Mexico, while barley and rice were domesticated in the Fertile Crescent of the Old World and in south-east Asia, respectively. Among the legume crops, indehiscent phenotypes emerged in soybean and common bean, which were domesticated in the Old World and the New World, respectively (Hymowitz, 1970; Harlan, 1992; Bitocchi et al, 2012; Schmutz et al, 2014). Fully indehiscent phenotype emerged in common bean only after domestication with the development of snap varieties that are used for the production of green beans due to the absence of fiber strings along the pod valves. In other domesticated commercial classes (e.g., dry beans) shattering traits it is only reduced from that observable in wild populations

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