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Intercropping is an agricultural technique where many crops are grown together on the same field, and it is becoming more widely acknowledged for its ability to improve productivity in food and forage production. This farming method allows for the strategic integration of a profitable crop with cover or non-profitable crops to achieve reciprocal benefits, while also spreading advantages across different agricultural systems. Intercropping designs differ to attain greater crop yields, reduce the use of chemicals and fertilizers, and enhance water-use efficiency, especially in the demanding circumstances of arid and semi-arid countries. This study examines new mechanisms via which intercropping enhances sustainable agriculture, including recent progress in ecological, genetic, and microbial interactions that enhance plant growth and resilience. The adaptability of the Mediterranean region, for varied agricultural methods is also assessed, with a particular focus on the possibilities for implementing intercropping systems. This study provides a thorough analysis of existing research, emphasizing the many advantages of intercropping and its contribution to the progress of sustainable agriculture.

After crosses, the identification of true hybrids is not only the most important step in the initiation of a breeding program but also plays a crucial role in the improvement of hybrid varieties. However, current morphological or molecular-based hybrid identification methods are time-consuming and costly approaches that require knowledge and skill, as well as specific lab equipment. In the current study, xenia, direct or immediate effect of pollen on seeds was used to identify true hybrids in the genus Pisum L. for the first time without growing F1 plants. The current study was therefore aimed to (i) elucidate the xenia effect on seeds in intra- and interspecific crosses between P. sativum L. subsp. sativum var. sativum or var. arvense L. Poir. and its wild relatives, including P. sativum subsp. elatius (M. Bieb.) Aschers & Graebn. and P. fulvum Sibth. & Sm., and (ii) illuminate the beneficialness of the xenia effect in a practical improvement of the genus Pisum L. The pea cultivars, including P. sativum subsp. sativum var. sativum and P. sativum subsp. sativum var. arvense, were therefore crossed with P. sativum subsp. elatius and P. fulvum, and the occurrence of the xenia effect was studied on the seeds of fertilized female plants immediately after the crosses. It was concluded that using the xenia effect for the early detection of true hybrid immediately after crossing was not only the fastest, most reliable, and least expensive option as early selection criteria, but that xenia also provided information about dominant seed and pod traits after double fertilization.

One of the important edible legumes, the faba bean (Vicia faba L.) contains high protein levels and amino acids in its seeds essential for human nutrition and animal feeding; it also consists of anti-nutritional factors such as vicine, convicine, and tannin. For a balanced and healthy diet, faba bean cultivars should be improved for high seed yield, essential amino acids, and low anti-nutritional factors. The aims of this study were to select faba bean genotypes for (i) high yield, (ii) low anti-nutritional factors, and (iii) essential amino acids. A total of 12 faba bean genotypes, including 10 genotypes with low tannin content and 2 local checks, were assessed for phenological, morphological, and agronomical traits, as well as some biochemical characteristics including essential amino acids and low anti-nutritional factors. A local population, Atlidere, and a breeding line with low tannin content, FLIP08-016FB, had the highest yield. FLIP08-016FB had not only the highest lysine, methionine, and cysteine content, but also the highest yield and low anti-nutritional factors. FLIP08-016FB was selected for a balanced and healthy diet as it had a high seed yield, essential amino acids, and low anti-nutritional factors.

Traits related to heat stress in bean species (Phaseolus spp.) have been insufficiently explored to date, yet studies of these traits are needed given that heat stress is predicted to become more frequent and severe in many parts of the world because of climate change. In order to detect agro-morphological and physiological traits related to heat stress and selection for resistance to heat stress, a total of 196 bean genotypes including eight genotypes of tepary bean (P. acutifolius L.), five genotypes of scarlet runner bean (P. coccineus A. Gray), two genotypes of year bean (P. dumosus Macfady), five genotypes of lima bean (P. lunatus L.), and 176 genotypes of common bean (P. vulgaris L.) were evaluated in 2019 and 2020 under moderate (field) and extreme heat stress (greenhouse) conditions. Although most genotypes of P. acutifolius, P. lunatus, and P. coccineus were found to be more resistant to heat stress than most genotypes of common bean, some genotypes of common bean were shown to perform as well as P. acutifolius, P. lunatus, and P. coccineus. Biomass among agronomical traits had the highest significant direct effects on the resistance to heat stress score. The maximum quantum efficiency of PSII and SPAD values among physiological traits showed significant direct effects on the resistance to heat stress score. Biomass, leaflet size, the SPAD value and maximum quantum efficiency of PSII can be considered as heat stress-related traits, and, P. acutifolius, P. lunatus, P. coccineus, and some genotypes of P. vulgaris can be considered for exploitation in a heat stress tolerance breeding program.

Heat-related traits in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) play a crucial role in reducing the harmful effect of heat stress, as the increase in heat stress is predicted to occur in the coming years due to global warming as a result of climate change. The advantage of multiple pods per peduncle and compound (imparipinnate) leaf traits in kabuli chickpea has not been properly revealed under heat stress conditions. We, therefore, want (i) to provide insight into the advantage of multiple pods and compound leaf traits over single pod per node and simple (unifoliolate) leaf traits, and (ii) to determine the highest direct and indirect effects of agro-morphological traits on seed yield in chickpeas under rainfed conditions with prevailing heat stress. With a delayed sowing time, the plants were subjected to heat stress of more than 43 °C in flowering and pod setting stages under field conditions. According to the number of pods per node and leaf shape, plants were evaluated for yield and yield components, and were divided into six groups, namely (i) single-pod and compound leaf, (ii) single-pod and simple leaf, (iii) double-pods and compound leaf, (iv) double-pods and simple leaf, (v) multi-pods and compound leaf, and (vi) multi-pods and simple leaf. Plants with multi-pods and compound leaf traits had the highest seed yield, followed by plants with double-pods and compound leaf, while plants with single-pod and simple leaf had the lowest yield. The number of seeds and pods per plant, 100-seed weight, and leaf shape were the highest determinants of seed yield under heat stress conditions. It was concluded that multi-pods per peduncle and compound leaf traits had an obviously incontrovertible advantage in kabuli chickpeas under heat stress conditions. The plant shapes that nature has evolved for millions of years, which are mostly found in wild plants, have been proven by the current study to have a better fitness ability than plants shaped by human hands.

The Neoplasm trait in pea pods is reported to be due to the lack of ultraviolet (UV) light in glasshouse conditions or in response to pea weevil (Bruchus pisorum L.) damage. This pod deformation arises from the growth of non-meristematic tissue on pods of domesticated peas (Pisum sativum L. subsp. sativum). Neither expressivity, nor the effect of pea weevil on neoplasm in the tall wild pea (P. sativum L. subsp. elatius (M. Bieb.) Asch. & Graebn.), have been adequately studied. We aimed to study the expression and inheritance of neoplasm in the tall wild pea and crosses between domesticated and tall wild peas grown in the glasshouse (without pea weevils) and in the field (with pea weevils) under natural infestation conditions. Neoplasm was found in all pods in tall wild peas when grown in the glasshouse, while it was not detected on pods of field-grown plants despite heavy pea weevil damage. In inter-subspecific crosses between P. sativum subsp. sativum and P. sativum subsp. elatius, all F1 plants had neoplastic pods, and the F2 populations segregated in a good fit ratio of 3 (neoplasm): 1 (free from neoplasm) under glasshouse conditions, which suggests that neoplasm on pods of the tall wild pea was controlled by a single dominant gene. Expressivity of neoplasm in the progeny differed from parent to parent used in inter-subspecific crosses. There was no relationship between neoplasm and damage by pea weevil under heavy insect epidemics under field conditions. The neoplasm occurring under glasshouse conditions may be due to one or to a combination of environmental factors. Since wild peas are useful genetic resources for breeding programs aiming at fresh pea production that could be utilized under glasshouse conditions, negative selection could be considered in segregating populations.

In terms of safe food and a healthy food supply, beans (Phaseolus spp.) are a significant source of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals especially for poor populations throughout the world. They are also rich in unsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic and oleic acids. From the past to the present, a large number of breeding studies to increase bean yield, especially the common bean (P. vulgaris L.), have resulted in the registration of many modern varieties, although quality and flavor traits in the modern varieties have been mostly ignored. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to compare protein, fat, fatty acid, and some mineral content such as selenium (Se), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) of landraces to modern varieties. The landrace LR05 had higher mineral contents, particularly Se and Zn, and protein than the modern varieties. The landrace LR11 had the highest linoleic acid. The landraces are grown by farmers in small holdings for dual uses, such as both dry seed and snap bean production, and are commercialized with a higher cash price. The landraces of the common bean are, not only treasures that need to be guarded for the future, but also important genetic resources that can be used in bean breeding programs. The results of this study suggest that landraces are essential sources of important nutritional components for food security and a healthy food supply.

Mutations are the most important phenomenon in the living organisms including plant species due to creating variation. Variation in crop plants can be increased by induced mutations. The present study deals with inheritance of an induced mutation with rose-flowered in the cultivated chickpea Cicer arietinum L. . A mutant having rose-shaped flowers without male and female organs in the cultivated chickpea was isolated in M2 and harvested as a single plant with its sisters sibs . In M3, inheritance of the rose-flowered mutant was studied in the segregated rows because hybridization between the mutant and parent or the other genotype of the cultivated chickpea was not possible. Results indicated that the rose-flowered mutation was controlled by a single recessive gene rs . This study is an alternative approach on inheritance studies if hybridization is impossible due to sterility