Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate and compare the physiological traits, productivity, and seed quality of nine faba bean varieties grown in a field trial under the Boreal climate conditions. A two-factor field experiment was laid out in a split-plot design: The seeds in the main plots were sown and treated with seed fungicide (SF) and untreated (without SF) (factor A). The sub-plots were assigned to nine varieties (factor B). The physiological traits of faba bean significantly varied among the varieties, and the behavior of faba bean varieties differed between the two growing seasons. The values of physiological traits for varieties Julia and Boxer significantly surpassed the trial mean under wet conditions, while the trait values for Fuego and Bioro were surpassed under conditions of a lack of moisture. Fungicidal seed treatment had a negligible effect on the physiological traits, while it had a significant negative influence on the leaf area index at the beginning of the flowering stage. SF had a noticeable effect on seed yield only for the varieties Nida DS and Fuego. The findings of the study revealed that Fuego and Isabell were the most suitable faba bean varieties for cultivation in the Boreal climate zone as they were distinguished from the other tested ones by the highest seed yields.
Highlights
Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is an important source of protein for humans and a valuable feed for livestock [1,2,3]
The results of the study demonstrated that faba bean varieties Julia and Alexia had a significantly higher SPAD, and the varieties Bioro, Nida DS, Reda DS, and Fuego had a significantly lower SPAD, compared with the trial mean
The values of the physiological traits for the varieties Julia and Boxer significantly surpassed the trial mean under wet conditions in the first season, while Fuego and Bioro under the conditions of moisture shortage in the second season
Summary
Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is an important source of protein for humans and a valuable feed for livestock [1,2,3]. Faba bean is an important crop for the diversification of farming systems [6,9] and for preservation the sustainability of agricultural systems, due to the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen [9,10,11]. Notwithstanding its importance, this crop is exposed to many biotic and abiotic stresses that seriously constrain the final productivity of the faba bean [12,13,14,15]. To curb the potential stresses caused by climate change, it is important to breed new genotypes capable of tolerating or avoiding the impact of unfavorable factors [13,17,20]
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