Physiological, Biochemical and Morphological Tolerance Mechanisms of Faba Bean (Vicia fabaL.) to the Combined Stress of Water Deficit and Phosphorus Limitation

Farmers in Mediterranean-type environments should plant annual crops as early as possible to maximise yield. Greater rainfall variability at the start of the growing season potentially exposes early-sown crops to water deficit, which may be severe enough to cause crop mortality or to reduce potential productivity. This paper shows that in a typical Mediterranean-type environment at Merredin, Western Australia, much longer dry periods between rainfall events are likely in April rather than in May or June, but with a sowing rule based on farmer behaviour the likelihood of damaging water deficit is small. Soil water at sowing is a good indicator of this likelihood. The implications of early water deficit for crop productivity were investigated for faba bean in two experiments at Merredin in 1997 and 1998. In 1997 simulated plant available water in the top 40 cm (PAW40) at sowing was 24 mm and 8-week-old plants displayed severe wilting after 6 weeks without rain. There was no crop mortality even after 8 weeks without rain and plants recovered quickly when rewatered. Water deficit reduced grain yield through lower evapotranspiration since withholding water reduced total supply but also because severely stressed plants could not extract water from as deep in the soil as less stressed plants. In 1998 simulated PAW40 at sowing was 41 mm and no wilting was observed when water was withheld for 8 weeks. Apparent transpiration efficiency was not affected by mild water deficit in either year, but was reduced by 35% by delaying sowing in 1998. This was due to higher atmospheric vapour pressure deficit during reproductive growth of the later-sown crop. These results suggest that delaying sowing in faba bean is more likely to reduce faba bean grain yield unless there is a strong likelihood of severe water deficit soon after sowing. This likelihood can be judged from the amount of soil water at sowing.

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Effect of Water Deficit on Yield of Different Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Genotypes

Legume Research - An International Journal ◽

10.18805/lr-600 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Aref M. Alshameri ◽

Salem S. Alghamdi ◽

Abdelrhman Z. Gaafar ◽

Bander M. Almunqedhi ◽

Ahmed A. Qahtan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Deficit ◽

Vicia Faba ◽

Faba Bean ◽

Yield Components ◽

Block Design ◽

Field Capacity ◽

Grain Legumes ◽

Water Deficit Stress ◽

Vicia Faba L ◽

Water Treatments

Background: Faba beans (Vicia faba L.) are important grain legumes but, as with many crops, these are also susceptible to water deficit. The aim of this study was to evaluate the yield components of twenty faba bean genotypes grown under water deficit.Methods: Three water treatments were applied, 25%, 50% and 100% of field capacity. A split-plot arrangement in a randomized complete block design with three replicates was used.Result: The faba genotypes Gazira2, Kamline, L4, Cairo7 and Giza402 reached flowering earlier than other genotypes through stress-escape mechanisms. Genotypes L4, Gazira1, Kamline, X.735 and Gazira2 had the highest seed yield under water-deficit conditions. Genotypes L4, X.735, 989/309/95, Kamline and Gazira1 exhibited the highest levels of biological yield. Finally, the genotypes Kamline and L.4 had higher yields and yield components under water-deficit stress. Consequently, they should be considered for use in breeding programs aimed at developing new cultivars that are better adapted to harsh environmental conditions.

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Comparative analysis of water deficit and salt tolerance mechanisms in Silene

South African Journal of Botany ◽

10.1016/j.sajb.2018.05.022 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 117 ◽

pp. 193-206 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

A. Kozminska ◽

M. Al Hassan ◽

E. Hanus-Fajerska ◽

M.A. Naranjo ◽

M. Boscaiu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

Salt Tolerance ◽

Water Deficit ◽

Tolerance Mechanisms

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Physiological Responses of Two Moss Species to the Combined Stress of Water Deficit and Elevated Nitrogen Deposition. I. Secondary Metabolism

International Journal of Plant Sciences ◽

10.1086/681023 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 176 (5) ◽

pp. 446-457 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Bin-yang Liu ◽

Chun-yi Lei ◽

Jian-hua Jin ◽

Shan Li ◽

Yi-shun Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Secondary Metabolism ◽

Nitrogen Deposition ◽

Water Deficit ◽

Physiological Responses ◽

Combined Stress ◽

Moss Species

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Diversity in root growth responses to moisture deficit in young faba bean (Vicia faba L.) plants

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.4401 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. e4401 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Kiflemariam Yehuala Belachew ◽

Kerstin A. Nagel ◽

Fabio Fiorani ◽

Frederick L. Stoddard

Keyword(s):

Root System ◽

Water Deficit ◽

Faba Bean ◽

Surface Coverage ◽

Chlorophyll Concentration ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Root Surface ◽

Shoot Dry Weight ◽

Drought Avoidance ◽

The World

Background Soil moisture deficiency causes yield reduction and instability in faba bean (Vicia faba L.) production. The extent of sensitivity to drought stress varies across accessions originating from diverse moisture regimes of the world. Hence, we conducted successive greenhouse experiments in pots and rhizotrons to explore diversity in root responses to soil water deficit. Methods A set of 89 accessions from wet and dry growing regions of the world was defined according to the Focused Identification of Germplasm Strategy and screened in a perlite-sand medium under well watered conditions in a greenhouse experiment. Stomatal conductance, canopy temperature, chlorophyll concentration, and root and shoot dry weights were recorded during the fifth week of growth. Eight accessions representing the range of responses were selected for further investigation. Starting five days after germination, they were subjected to a root phenotyping experiment using the automated phenotyping platform GROWSCREEN-Rhizo. The rhizotrons were filled with peat-soil under well watered and water limited conditions. Root architectural traits were recorded five, 12, and 19 days after the treatment (DAT) began. Results In the germplasm survey, accessions from dry regions showed significantly higher values of chlorophyll concentration, shoot and root dry weights than those from wet regions. Root and shoot dry weight as well as seed weight, and chlorophyll concentration were positively correlated with each other. Accession DS70622 combined higher values of root and shoot dry weight than the rest. The experiment in GROWSCREEN-Rhizo showed large differences in root response to water deficit. The accession by treatment interactions in taproot and second order lateral root lengths were significant at 12 and 19 DAT, and the taproot length was reduced up to 57% by drought. The longest and deepest root systems under both treatment conditions were recorded by DS70622 and DS11320, and total root length of DS70622 was three times longer than that of WS99501, the shortest rooted accession. The maximum horizontal distribution of a root system and root surface coverage were positively correlated with taproot and total root lengths and root system depth. DS70622 and WS99501 combined maximum and minimum values of these traits, respectively. Thus, roots of DS70622 and DS11320, from dry regions, showed drought-avoidance characteristics whereas those of WS99501 and Mèlodie/2, from wet regions, showed the opposite. Discussion The combination of the germplasm survey and use of GROWSCREEN-Rhizo allowed exploring of adaptive traits and detection of root phenotypic markers for potential drought avoidance. The greater root system depth and root surface coverage, exemplified by DS70622 and DS11320, can now be tested as new sources of drought tolerance.

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