Legume Crops Research Articles

Investigating Genetic Diversity and Correlations Between Mineral Concentration and Neurotoxin (β-ODAP) Content in the Lathyrus Genus

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a nutritious legume crop well-adapted to fragile agro-ecosystems that can survive under challenging climatic conditions. The cultivation of grass pea faces stigma primarily due to the presence of β-N-Oxalyl-L-α, β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP), which is associated with a risk of inducing neurolathyrism upon prolonged consumption of its grains as a staple diet. The grass pea improvement program of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) aims to reduce β-ODAP content to a safe level along with improving yield potential and nutritional quality of grass pea. In this study, 183 germplasm accessions representing 13 different Lathyrus species and 11 L. sativus breeding lines were evaluated for β-ODAP content based on Rao protocol and mineral concentration using ICP-OES. Significant variability was observed among the accessions for the studied traits. The results showed low β-ODAP content and high mineral concentration in 25 accessions of crop wild relatives, which included L. cicera, L. ochrus, and L. cassius, with one accession IG65277 of L. cassius, in addition to two lines, IG117034 and ACC1335, of L. sativus having very low β-ODAP content. Furthermore, some accessions of L. pseudocicera, L. aphaca, L. cicera, L. marmoratus, L. gorgoni, and L. tingitanus also showed low β-ODAP content. The results showed significant positive correlations among different trait combinations, viz., K and P (r = 0.193 ***), K and Fe (r = 0.177 ***), Mn and Fe (r = 0.210 ***), Mn and Se (r = 0.137 ***), β-ODAP and Mg (r = 0.158 **), and β-ODAP and Ca (r = 0.140 **). L. cicera, L. ochrus, and L. cassius were identified as a great source for improving the mineral concentration and reducing β-ODAP content in the cultivated grass pea.

De Novo Transcriptome Assembly of Rice Bean (Vigna umbellata) and Characterization of WRKY Transcription Factors Response to Aluminum Stress

Rice bean is an underutilized legume crop cultivated in Asia, and it is a good source of protein, minerals, and essential fatty acids for human consumption. Moreover, the leaves left over after harvesting rice bean seeds contain various biological constituents beneficial to humans and animals. In our study, we performed a de-novo transcriptome assembly of rice bean, characterized the WRKY transcription factors, and studied their response to aluminum stress. A total of 46.6 million clean reads, with a GC value of 43%, were generated via transcriptome sequencing. De novo assembly of the clean reads resulted in 90,933 transcripts and 74,926 unigenes, with minimum and maximum lengths of 301 bp and 24,052 bp, and N50 values of 1801 bp and 1710 bp, respectively. A total of 27,095 and 28,378 unigenes were annotated and subjected to GO and KEGG analyses. Among the unigenes, 15,593, 20,770, and 15,385 unigenes were identified in the domains of biological process, molecular function, and cellular component, respectively. A total of 16,132 unigenes were assigned to 188 pathways, including metabolic pathways (5500) and secondary metabolite biosynthesis (2858). Transcription factor analysis revealed 4860 unigenes from 98 different transcription factor families. For WRKY, a total of 95 unigenes were identified. Further analysis revealed the diverse response of WRKY transcription factors to aluminum stress. Collectively, the results of this study boost genomic resources and provide a baseline for further research on the role of WRKY transcription factors in aluminum tolerance in rice bean.

Evaluations of Grass Pea Relay Inter-Cropping with Wheat on Vertisol in Eastern Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Grass peas have been cultivated in Ethiopia for a long time; they are drought-tolerant and unaffected by excessive rainfall. This study evaluated the effectiveness of grass pea relay intercropping with wheat for better production and its effect on soil moisture and fertility improvement in the Jama district, northeastern Amhara, Ethiopia. The location is mainly dominated by vertisol, a black-to-gray clay with high swelling and shrinking character. The treatments were evaluated by arranging the randomized block design. At the tillering stage of wheat, planting grass peas on furrows and between rows with 30 cm spacing effectively contributes to soil fertility status and soil moisture. Grass pea is a legume crop that incorporates nitrogen and is also used as a cover crop that retains soil moisture. This type of planting technique is also efficient in the case of land utilization; a 1.9 ha sole cropping area would be required to produce the same yields as 1 ha of the intercropped system. Planting grass peas during the tillering stage of the wheat crop is recommended.

Local haplotyping reveals insights into the genetic control of flowering time variation in wild and domesticated soybean.

The timing of flowering in soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merr.], a key legume crop, is influenced by many factors, including daylight length or photoperiodic sensitivity, that affect crop yield, productivity, and geographical adaptation. Despite its importance, a comprehensive understanding of the local linkage landscape and allelic diversity within regions of the genome influencing flowering and contributing to phenotypic variation in subpopulations has been limited. This study addresses these gaps by conducting an in-depth trait association and linkage analysis coupled with local haplotyping using advanced bioinformatics tools, including crosshap, to characterize genomic variation using a pangenome dataset representing 915 domesticated and wild-type individuals. The association analysis identified eight significant loci on seven chromosomes. Moving beyond traditional association analysis, local haplotyping of targeted regions on chromosomes 6 and 20 identified distinct haplotype structures, variation patterns, and genomic candidates influencing flowering in subpopulations. These results suggest the action of a network of genomic candidates influencing flowering time and an untapped reservoir of genomic variation for this trait in wild germplasm. Notably, GlymaLee.20G147200 on chromosome 20 was identified as a candidate gene that may cause delayed flowering in soybean, potentially through histone modifications of floral repressor loci as seen in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. These findings support future functional validation of haplotype-based alleles for marker-assisted breeding and genomic selection to enhance latitude adaptability of soybean without compromising yield.

Characterization, phylogeny and recombination of Rhynchosia yellow mosaic virus infecting Rhynchosia minima, a wild relative of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) from India.

Rhynchosia minima grown at Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur, India, showed yellow mosaic symptoms on leaves and were suspected to be caused by begomovirus(es). Leaves from five different plants (Rhm1-Rhm5) were tested for the presence of four viruses in PCR. PCR assays revealed the presence of mungbean yellow mosaic India virus in four samples, whereas one sample (Rhm2) was negative. Processing of Rhm2 sample using rolling circle amplification and restriction digestion indicated the presence of DNA molecules of ~ 2.6-2.7kb. These molecules were sequenced after cloning and found to be of 2741 and 2658 nucleotides in size. BLAST analysis revealed that DNA-A (OQ269467) and DNA-B (OQ269468) molecules of rhynchosia yellow mosaic virus (RhYMV) with 99.09% and 93.74% nucleotide similarity with DNA-A (KP752090) and DNA-B (KP752091) of the RhYMV isolate, respectively. These sequences had a genome organization typical of legume-infecting Old World bipartite begomoviruses. Full genome sequences obtained from Rhm2 are, therefore, considered to be an isolate of RhYMV, designated as RhYMV-IN-Knp. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that RhYMV-IN-Knp was grouped with other isolates of RhYMV followed by Cajanus scarabaeoides yellow mosaic virus. DNA-A of RhYMV-IN-Knp showed two recombination events. The Old World bipartite begomovirus squash leaf curl China virus (AM260205) was identified as the major parent, whereas New World bipartite begomovirus rhynchosia golden yellow mosaic Yucatan virus (EU021216) was identified as the minor parent. RhYMV holds the potential of infecting cultivated legume crops, therefore regular monitoring is crucial especially for pigeonpea breeding programs.

Analyzing the Role of Different Molybdenum doses and Rhizobium Inoculation in Optimizing Nutrient Absorption and Yield in Vegetable Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] cv. AVCP 1

Legumes, along with cereals, can be considered a main plant source of energy and quality proteins. A versatile legume crop, cowpeas offer economic, agronomic, environmental, and nutritional advantages. Cowpeas have a high total protein level and a relatively low fat content, making them nutritionally similar to other pulses. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of different rates of ammonium molybdate and Rhizobium inoculation on the yield and nutrient uptake of vegetable cowpea. There were 12 treatment combinations comprising six concentrations of molybdenum i.e. M0:control, M1: soil application of molybdenum @ 200 g ha-1, M2: soil application of molybdenum @ 300 g ha-1, M3: seed treatment of molybdenum 25 g ha-1 seeds, M4: seed treatment of molybdenum 50 g ha-1 seeds and M5: seed treatment of molybdenum 6 ml kg-1 seeds and two levels of Rhizobium i.e. R0: without Rhizobium seed treatment, R1: with Rhizobium (10 ml kg-1 seed) seed treatment in a Randomized Block Design (Factorial) with three replications. Results indicated that the application of ammonium molybdate and Rhizobium inoculation significantly improved total cowpea yield. The highest yield was observed with the treatment combination of 300 g ha⁻¹ ammonium molybdate (M₂) and Rhizobium inoculation (R₁). Nutrient analysis revealed that phosphorus, potassium and iron content in cowpea pods significantly increased with ammonium molybdate and Rhizobium treatments. The highest phosphorus and potassium contents were recorded with M₂ treatment, while the maximum iron content was found in M₃ treatment. Rhizobium treated seeds (R₁) also enhanced phosphorus, potassium and iron content in the pods. In terms of nutrient uptake, the highest nitrogen and phosphorus uptake were observed with the combined M₂R₁ treatment. Similarly, the highest potassium uptake in pods and total potassium uptake were recorded with M₂R₁ treatment, respectively. The interaction between ammonium molybdate and Rhizobium inoculation showed significant effects on nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium uptake, highlighting the importance of these treatments in enhancing cowpea nutrient absorption and yield. The use of biofertilizers can be highly successful in restoring agricultural soil, and this study highlights the possibility of combining Rhizobium inoculation with ammonium molybdate treatment to maximize nutrient uptake and enhance cowpea yield in sustainable agriculture production.

The Effect of Rhizobium Inoculation on the Nutritional Value of Crops in the Legume–Cereal Intercropping System in Northern Kazakhstan

In this study, the changes in yield, nutrient content, and amino acid levels in legume–cereal grass mixtures were qualitatively evaluated depending on the legume–cereal combination and inoculation with preparations based on Rhizobium. This study, taking into account the biological characteristics of legume forage crops, used inoculations with strains of nodule bacteria and associative nitrogen fixers to enhance the process of the nitrogen fixation of mixed crops of legumes and cereal. The aim of this study was to compare the yields and nutritional values of monocultures and mixed crops, as well as to determine the effects of preparations based on strains of nodule bacteria and the associated nitrogen fixer on the photosynthetic activity and yield of combined annual legume–grain crops. A comparative study of forage crop biomass was conducted to analyze crude protein, fiber, carotene, and amino acid content in monocultures and legume–cereal mixtures, with and without the use of nodule-bacteria-based preparations (Rhizotorphin, Mizorine, Flavobactrin, and Azolene). The combined effect of crop mixtures and biological products led to increased green mass yield, protein content, and feed productivity. Notably, two-component mixtures with Rhizotorphin inoculation increased green mass yield by 8.79%, while three-component mixtures saw a 16.49% increase. The oat–pea mixture showed the most significant amino acid improvements, with lysine increasing by 6.26% and tyrosine by 3.24%. The general conclusion reached by the two-year experiment of 2022–2023 in the hill–plain zone of northern Kazakhstan is that double grass mixtures treated with nodule bacteria are more productive than monoculture crops in this area. These results suggest that inoculation with bacterial strains can effectively enhance the productivity of forage crops in northern Kazakhstan, providing a basis for future recommendations on optimizing herbaceous crop combinations. It is recommended to grow annual forage crops in mixtures with legumes to produce highly nutritious feeds with high metabolic energy in terms of biochemical composition.

Dynamics of legume Cropping and Agro-ecological Transition in the Cotton Savannah Zones of West Africa: the Case of Koumbia District of Burkina Faso

Aims: This paper shows the contribution of participatory research to upgrade the integration of legumes into cropping systems. Place and Duration of Study: The investigation is based on survey data collected in 2008 and 2011 (two reference years) and 2021 and 2022 (current situation) in the village of Koumbia in western Burkina Faso. Methodology: Data was collected through surveys and field measurements. The surveys were conducted with a sample of fifty (50) volunteer farmers. In 2008, 2011 and 2022, the same questionnaire was administered to all 50 farmers. Field measurements with GPS (Global Positioning System) were conducted on crop area. Results: The results show that the proportion of area under legumes crops increased by 77,38% after 15 years. Other legumes crops (Glycine max and Mucuna sp.) were introduced in addition to those previously grown (groundnuts and cowpeas) by farmers. Surface cropped in sorghum (35.36%) and millet (82.79%) declined while cotton and maize remain the main crops in the zone. The results on farmers’ perception show that they prefer single cropping of legume crops as their insertion modality in the existing farming systems compared to their association with cereals. Conclusion: The study shows that the role of legumes is increasing in the cropping system, and represents an opportunity to succeed in the agro-ecological transition, even though the intercropping of cereal/legume, which is put forward by the theoretical models of the agro-ecological transition, is still little practiced. The structuration of the legume sector can be a condition for achieving it.

A New Starches Extracted from Non- Conventional Sources are the Vogue for Pharmaceutical Industry: A Review

Industrially, starch is obtained from cereal grains such as wheat and maize (corn), or from tubers, such as potatoes, tapioca, and arrowroot, or from the pith of the sago plant. By far, the larger part of the starch is obtained from maize, wheat, potato, and tapioca. Starch is present in almost all the tissue such as leaves, roots, tubers, seeds, stems, flowers, etc. of green plants however there are some plants which are grown commercially for the starch which includes cereal such as wheat, corn, sorghum, and rice, tuber mainly potato, root like tapioca and arrowroot, stem of sago, and legume crops mainly pea. Worldwide production of an overview on applications of starch 142 starch is depending on the use of cereals as the raw materials. Normally starch from Conventional sources of starch include sources like cereal corps and legume seeds, tuber crops, and some root tubers is used in large amount in the field of pharmacy. Due to unbelievable increasing demand for starch some nonconventional starch resources have been investigated in recent Years.

CRISPR/Cas9‐Mediated Genome Editing for Trait Improvement and Stress Tolerance in Leguminosae (Legume Family)

ABSTRACTLegumes represent a significant source of protein, roughage, minerals and carbohydrates in global diets. They are cultivated primarily for human consumption, forage and as a green manure. However, the growth and productivity of legumes are often hindered by a range of biological and environmental factors. The most prevalent diseases afflicting legumes include downy mildew, fusarium root rot, southern blight and common leaf spot. Additionally, environmental stresses such as salinity and drought represents significant challenges. Over time, the development of cultivars with enhanced tolerance has emerged as a sustainable approach to combat the impact of these stresses. Although environmentally friendly, traditional breeding methods entail lengthy screening and cross‐breeding protocols, which constrain their efficacy in addressing climate challenges and ensuring global food security. Furthermore, these approaches rely on the natural availability of genetic variation, which may not always be exist for specific traits, particularly in the context of rapidly changing environmental conditions. Additionally, the traditional breeding method is not sufficiently precise, which can result in the unintended introduction of undesirable traits. Furthermore, the genetic intricacy of legumes presents an additional challenge making it difficult to isolate and enhance desired traits. These constrain impede the capacity to expeditiously develop cultivars that can withstand emerging stresses, such as climate change. Genome editing has emerged as a powerful tool to overcome the limitations of traditional breeding methods. By enabling precise and targeted genetic manipulation, genome editing can enhance desired traits or introduce new ones, thereby facilitating the development of climate‐resilient agronomic varieties. In particular, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/CRISPR associated protein (CRISPR/Cas9)‐mediated editing has demonstrated considerable potential in enhancing legume adaptability to diverse stress conditions and increasing crop yield. This study highlights the advancements in genome editing, with a specific focus on CRISPR/Cas9 technology, as a means to improve legume crops' resilience and productivity in response to environmental pressures.

Genome-wide association study uncovers pea candidate genes and metabolic pathways involved in rust resistance.

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is an important temperate legume crop providing plant-based proteins for food and feed worldwide. Pea yield can be limited by several biotic stresses, among which rust represents a major limiting factor in many temperate and subtropical regions. Some efforts have been made to assess the natural variation in pea resistance to rust, but its efficient exploitation in breeding is limited since the resistance loci identified so far are scarce and their responsible gene(s) unknown. To overcome this knowledge gap, a comprehensive genome-wide association study (GWAS) has been performed on pea rust, caused by Uromyces pisi, to uncover genetic loci associated with resistance. Utilizing a diverse collection of 320 pea accessions, we evaluated phenotypic responses to two rust isolates using both traditional methods and advanced image-based phenotyping. We detected 95 significant trait-marker associations using a set of 26,045 Diversity Arrays Technology-sequencing polymorphic markers. Our in silico analysis identified 62 candidate genes putatively involved in rust resistance, grouped into different functional categories such as gene expression regulation, vesicle trafficking, cell wall biosynthesis, and hormonal signaling. This research highlights the potential of GWAS to identify molecular markers associated with resistance and candidate genes against pea rust, offering new targets for precision breeding. By integrating our findings into current breeding programs, we can facilitate the development of pea varieties with improved resistance to rust, contributing to sustainable agricultural practices and food security. This study sets the stage for future functional genomic analyses and the application of genomic selection approaches to enhance disease resistance in peas.

Research on Resistance Monitoring, Risk Assessment, and Mechanisms of <i>Megalurothrips usitatus</i>

<i>Megalurothrips usitatus</i>, also known as common thrips or cowpea thrips, is a widely distributed and highly destructive pest, primarily infesting legume crops. Due to its short generation cycle, high reproductive capacity, and concealed lifestyle, the effectiveness of chemical pesticide control has been continuously diminishing with the modernization of agricultural production and the extensive use of pesticides. <i>Megalurothrips usitatus</i> has gradually developed resistance to various commonly used pesticides, with resistance levels increasing year by year, thus exacerbating the difficulty of pest management and causing significant economic losses to agricultural production. Scholars, both domestically and internationally, have conducted in-depth research using methods from morphology, molecular biology, and ecology, showing that there are three main causes of pest resistance: enhanced detoxification enzymes, reduced sensitivity at target sites, and decreased cuticle penetration. These findings provide a wealth of theoretical support for resistance monitoring and management. The resistance of <i>Megalurothrips usitatus</i> to multiple pesticides is not only a local issue but also affects global agricultural sustainability. Research on the monitoring, risk assessment, and mechanisms of resistance in <i>Megalurothrips usitatus</i> contributes to prolonging the effective use of pesticides, improving control outcomes, and enhancing both the yield and quality of cowpea crops. These studies also provide a scientific basis for developing more effective control strategies and ensuring sustainable agricultural development.

Wild Lathyrus-A Treasure of Novel Diversity.

Grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a climate-smart legume crop with adaptation to fragile agroecosystems. The genus Lathyrus is recognized for its vast genetic diversity, encompassing over 160 species, many of which are cultivated for various purposes across different regions of the world. Among these, Lathyrus sativus is widely cultivated as food, feed, and fodder in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) regions. Its global cultivation has declined substantially due to the stigma posed by the presence of neurotoxin β-N-oxalyl-L-α, β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP) in its seeds and green foliage. Overconsumption for a longer period of grasspea seeds harvested from landraces may lead to a neurological disorder called neurolathyrism in humans. ODAP is an obstacle for grasspea expansion, but crop wild relatives (CWRs) have been found to offer a solution. The incorporation of CWRs, particularly Lathyrus cicera, and landraces into breeding programs may reduce the ODAP content in grasspea varieties to a safer level. Recent advances in genomics-assisted breeding have expanded the potential for utilizing challenging CWRs to develop grasspea varieties that combine ultra-low ODAP levels with improved yield, stability, and adaptability. Further progress in omics technologies-such as transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics-along with genome sequencing and editing, has greatly accelerated the development of grasspea varieties with reduced or zero ODAP content, while also enhancing the plant's agronomic value. This review highlights the significance of utilizing CWRs in pre-breeding programs, and harnessing advanced tools and technologies to enhance the performance, adaptability, and resilience of grasspea in response to changing environmental conditions.

Proline Accumulation and Drought Tolerance in Green Gram (Vigna radiata L.)

Green gram (Vigna radiata L.), a key legume crop in Asia, contributes to sustainable agriculture by fixing atmospheric nitrogen and providing valuable nutrients. Despite its importance, productivity is hindered by various factors including drought, affecting key physiological and biochemical processes, leading to reduced yields. This study aimed to identify drought-tolerant green gram genotypes by evaluating 50 accessions for root, shoot and biochemical parameters under controlled moisture stress. An increase in root length and diameter under stress was observed, which aids in nutrient uptake and osmoregulation. Conversely, shoot length and dry weight decreased due to moisture limitations, with genotypes like VBN 3 and PLM 38 showing resilience by maintaining higher dry weights. Biochemical analysis revealed that proline accumulation, which correlates positively with drought tolerance, increased in most genotypes, particularly in IC 395518 and ML 1415. This suggests its role in maintaining cell turgor and mitigating stress effects. Chlorophyll content decreased under stress, while total phenolic content increased in some genotypes, further indicating drought tolerance. Correlation and path analysis revealed strong positive relationships between root traits and proline content, emphasizing their importance in drought tolerance. The study concludes that genotypes with robust root systems and higher proline accumulation are more capable of withstanding drought, highlighting the need for breeding programs targeting these traits for improved green gram productivity under changing climates.

Black‐Eyed Pea in the High Plains

AbstractBlack‐eyed pea is a pulse crop and a subspecies of cowpea. Historically, most of the black‐eyed pea grown for grain has been in California. As water availability declined in the region, production shifted to Texas in the 1990s and to Arizona in the early 2000s. The pulse‐crop‐producing regions of Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado have seen an increase in black‐eyed pea acreage over the past nine years as an effort to maintain U.S. production levels. Black‐eyed pea is a suitable cash crop legume to enhance the dryland cropping rotations. What once was a crop grown on irrigated acres in the arid West has been found to flourish on the dryland and limited‐irrigation acres of the High Plains. Earn 0.5 CEUs in Crop Management by reading this article and taking the quiz at https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning‐Center/Courses.

Survey on Current Status, Challenges and Opportunities towards Integration of Traditional Smallholder Crop-livestock Systems in Kenya

The current study reports the results of a baseline survey conducted to establish current status of optimizing productivity of crop-livestock systems in Kenya. Results from the study showed that 74% and 18% of the household head and respondents were male and female respectively, indicating a male dominance of household headship. The household head (69%) and respondents (16%) reported to have completed classes for formal school. On average, farmers were walking 1.83 Km, 5.18 Km, 4.65 Km, and 12.79 Km to the nearest village market, town market, extension office and farmers’ training centers respectively. This shows that extension and communication services are still far apart from the farming communities, with a negative implication on technology adoption and household food and nutrition security. Majority of the farmers did not utilize organic nutrients for crop production (96%). Open heaping/piling, composting with other materials, use of solid and liquid manures was reported to be utilized on average 67 kg, 30 kg, 11 kg and 2 kg respectively. This implies a poor manure management, low adoption and utilization levels of organic manures, with subsequent impact on climate change, crop productivity and household food and nutrition security. The main constraint limiting the use of organic fertilizers were ranked as follows; ignorance of the technical aspects linked to the use of manure as an organic fertilizer (17.8%), low awareness of manure usefulness to improve soil fertility (16.4%), high affordability and timely accessibility of chemical fertilizers (16.3%). Results further show that majority of the respondent did not utilize Nitrogen fixing plants (66%), nutrient cycling (84%) and legume crops (75%). The main Nitrogen-fixing plants were faba bean (10%), Sesbania (9%), cowpea (5%), alfalfa (2%) and sunflower (1%) respectively. The survey recommends promotion of climate smart interventions and organic soil fertility management approaches, farmers capacity building and promotion of agribusiness.

Evaluation of Kabuli Chickpea Genotypes for Tropical Adaptation in Northern Australia

Chickpea is one of the economically important legume crops adapted for winter season production in tropical climates. This study evaluated the physiological, morphological, and biochemical traits of eight Kabuli chickpea genotypes in an Australian tropical environment. The result revealed significant differences between genotypes for seed emergence, plant height, primary shoots, leaf number, leaf area index, gas-exchange parameters, seed yield, carbon discrimination (Δ13C), and natural abundance for nitrogen fixation. Among the tested genotypes, AVTCPK#6 and AVTCPK#19 exhibited late flowering (60–66 days) and late maturity (105–107 days), and had higher leaf photosynthetic rate (Asat) (28.4–31.2 µmol m−2 s−1), lower stomatal conductance (gsw) (516–756 mmol m−2 s−1), were associated with reduced transpiration rate (T) (12.3–14.5 mmol m−2 s−1), offered greater intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) (2.1–2.3 µmol m−2 s−1/mmol m−2 s−1), and contributed a higher seed yield (626–746 g/m2) compared to other genotypes. However, a larger seed test weight (>60 g/100 seed) was observed for AVTCPK#24, AVTCPK#8, and AVTCPK#3. Similarly, a high proportion (45%) of larger seeds (>10–11 mm) was recorded for AVTCPK#24. Furthermore, a higher %Ndfa in AVTCPK#6 (71%) followed by AVTCPK#19 (63%) indicated greater symbiotic nitrogen fixation in high-yielding genotypes. Positive correlation was observed between %Ndfa and seed protein, as well as between seed yield and plant height, primary shoots, leaf count, leaf area index, leaf photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate at pod filling stage, biomass, and harvest index. An inverse correlation between (Δ13C) and iWUE, particularly in AVTCPK#6 and AVTCPK#19, indicates greater heat and drought tolerance, required for high-yielding Kabuli chickpea production in northern Australia.

The productivity of selected soybean cultivars grown using various cultivation methods

Soybean is an important legume crop globally due to its rich protein, oil content, and functional components. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the yield of selected soybean cultivars depending on cultivation methods. The three-year field experiment, conducted from 2018 to 2020 at the Agricultural Experimental Station in Kępa-Puławy, Osiny farm (Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation – State Research Institute in Puławy), investigated these variations. The first experimental factor was the soil cultivation method: A – conventional tillage, B – reduced tillage, and C – strip tillage. The second variable was soybean cultivar: ‘Aldana’ and ‘Merlin’. The soybean cultivars were selected for their differing maturity rates: ‘Aldana’ (000) is an early cultivar, while ‘Merlin’ (000++) semi-late cultivar. The field experiment utilised a split-plot design on Luvisol soil with sandy loam texture, belonging to a good rye complex, class IIIb–IVa, and was replicated four times. The study showed that the productivity (seed and protein yield) of the ‘Merlin’ cultivar grown in the central-eastern part of Poland was approximately 8% higher than that of the ‘Aldana’ cultivar. The cultivation method had a relatively minor influence on soybean yield, the content of selected nutrients, morphological features, and elements of the yield structure. The soil in strip-tillage method was more compact than the soil cultivated with a plough. After harvesting soybeans at a depth of 30, and 40 cm, the compactness of soil in strip-tillage or with reduced tillage was much lower than in spring, highlighting a positive effect of soybean cultivation on loosening the arable layer.

Selection for domestication favored taxa characterized by fast growth and tolerance of high intraspecific density

Societal Impact StatementTo understand why certain plants have been domesticated into crops, we need to recognize that the environmental conditions plants experience in wild populations are totally different from those of agricultural fields. In this study, we investigated whether the characteristics that promote growth and survival in these different environments may have influenced domestication. Our results revealed that ancestral crops were selected because they developed better than other plants in dense single‐species stands, with selection for increased yield likely occurring after domestication. These insights shed light on the origins of agriculture and offer valuable guidance for future crop breeding efforts.Summary In spite of a large history of research, it is still unclear which functional traits may have mediated plant domestication. Solving this problem requires consideration of the ecological and demographic disparities between natural plant populations and cultivated fields. Since population density tends to be higher in the latter, we hypothesized that traits facilitating growth and survival in dense, monospecific populations might have been relevant for initial domestication. We investigated whether functional traits that respond to population density varied across three different domestication stages: undomesticated crop wild relatives, natural populations of crop progenitors, and landraces. To do this, we compared traits influencing competition (lodging; growth rate), resource acquisition (plant height; total aerial and root biomass) and yield (fruit number) in three annual legume crops—lentil, grasspea, and vetch—grown without resource limitation at three different densities. Our results showed clear differences among species, likely reflective of the distinct uses of the crops and their domestication pathways. Nevertheless, undomesticated relatives consistently differed from crop progenitors and landraces, producing smaller, slower‐growing plants that were more prostrate and allocated less biomass to roots. The effect of selection under domestication on these vegetative traits appeared to be largely negligible. Conversely, landraces produced more fruits. We conclude that early agriculturalists selected for domestication wild legumes that performed well in dense monocultures and were more effective in resource capture. Later domestication and breeding efforts likely had more significant effects on reproductive traits, such as fruit and seed production.

Natural variation in the chickpea metabolome under drought stress.

Chickpea is the world's fourth largest grown legume crop, which significantly contributes to food security by providing calories and dietary protein globally. However, the increased frequency of drought stress has significantly reduced chickpea production in recent years. Here, we have performed a field experiment with 36 diverse chickpea genotypes to evaluate grain yield, photosynthetic activities and molecular traits related to drought stress. For metabolomics analysis, leaf tissue was collected at three time points representing different pod-filling stages. We identified L-threonic acid, fructose and sugar alcohols involved in chickpea adaptive drought response within the mid-pod-filling stage. A stress susceptibility index for each genotype was calculated to identify tolerance capacity under drought, distributing the 36 genotypes into four categories from best to worst performance. To understand how biochemical mechanisms control different traits for genetic improvement, we performed a differential Jacobian analysis, which unveiled the interplay between various metabolic pathways across three time points, including higher flux towards inositol interconversions, glycolysis for high-performing genotypes, fumarate to malate conversion, and carbon and nitrogen metabolism perturbations. Metabolic GWAS (mGWAS) analysis uncovered gene candidates involved in glycolysis and MEP pathway corroborating with the differential biochemical Jacobian results. Accordingly, this proposed data analysis strategy bridges the gap from pure statistical association to causal biochemical relations by exploiting natural variation. Our study offers new perspectives on the genetic and metabolic understanding of drought tolerance-associated diversity in the chickpea metabolome and led to the identification of metabolic control points that can be also tested in other legume crops.