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There are many terms used to define aspects of potassium (K) use efficiency of plants. The terms used most frequently in an agricultural context are (1) agronomic K use efficiency (KUE), which is defined as yield per unit K available to a crop and is numerically equal to the product of (2) the K uptake efficiency (KUpE) of the crop, which is defined as crop K content per unit K available and (3) its K utilization efficiency (KUtE), which is defined as yield per unit crop K content. There is considerable genetic variation between and within plant species in KUE, KUpE, and KUtE. Root systems of genotypes with greatest KUpE often have an ability (1) to exploit the soil volume effectively, (2) to manipulate the rhizosphere to release nonexchangeable K from soil, and (3) to take up K at low rhizosphere K concentrations. Genotypes with greatest KUtE have the ability (1) to redistribute K from older to younger tissues to maintain growth and photosynthesis and (2) to reduce vacuolar K concentration, while maintaining an appropriate K concentration in metabolically active subcellular compartments, either by anatomical adaptation or by greater substitution of K with other solutes in the vacuole. Genetic variation in traits related to KUpE and KUtE might be exploited in breeding crop genotypes that require less K fertilizer. This could reduce fertilizer costs, protect the environment, and slow the exhaustion of nonrenewable resources.

Early Access; International audience; Fabeae legumes such as pea and faba bean form symbiotic nodules with a large diversity of soil Rhizobium leguminosarum symbiovar viciae (Rlv) bacteria. However, bacteria competitive to form root nodules (CFN) are generally not the most efficient to fix dinitrogen, resulting in a decrease in legume crop yields. Here, we investigate differential selection by host plants on the diversity of Rlv. A large collection of Rlv was collected by nodule trapping with pea and faba bean from soils at five European sites. Representative genomes were sequenced. In parallel, diversity and abundance of Rlv were estimated directly in these soils using metabarcoding. The CFN of isolates was measured with both legume hosts. Pea/faba bean CFN were associated to Rlv genomic regions. Variations of bacterial pea and/or faba bean CFN explained the differential abundance of Rlv genotypes in pea and faba bean nodules. No evidence was found for genetic association between CFN and variations in the core genome, but variations in specific regions of the nod locus, as well as in other plasmid loci, were associated with differences in CFN. These findings shed light on the genetic control of CFN in Rlv and emphasise the importance of host plants in controlling Rhizobium diversity.

Genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted to identify loci associated with agronomic (days to flowering, days to maturity, plant height, seed yield and seed weight), seed morphology (shape and dimpling), and seed quality (protein, starch, and fiber concentrations) traits of field pea (Pisum sativum L.). A collection of 135 pea accessions from 23 different breeding programs in Africa (Ethiopia), Asia (India), Australia, Europe (Belarus, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Lithuania, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine and United Kingdom), and North America (Canada and USA), was used for the GWAS. The accessions were genotyped using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). After filtering for a minimum read depth of five, and minor allele frequency of 0.05, 16,877 high quality SNPs were selected to determine marker-trait associations (MTA). The LD decay (LD1/2max,90) across the chromosomes varied from 20 to 80 kb. Population structure analysis grouped the accessions into nine subpopulations. The accessions were evaluated in multi-year, multi-location trials in Olomouc (Czech Republic), Fargo, North Dakota (USA), and Rosthern and Sutherland, Saskatchewan (Canada) from 2013 to 2017. Each trait was phenotyped in at least five location-years. MTAs that were consistent across multiple trials were identified. Chr5LG3_566189651 and Chr5LG3_572899434 for plant height, Chr2LG1_409403647 for lodging resistance, Chr1LG6_57305683 and Chr1LG6_366513463 for grain yield, Chr1LG6_176606388, Chr2LG1_457185, Chr3LG5_234519042 and Chr7LG7_8229439 for seed starch concentration, and Chr3LG5_194530376 for seed protein concentration were identified from different locations and years. This research identified SNP markers associated with important traits in pea that have potential for marker-assisted selection towards rapid cultivar improvement.

20 p.-3 fig., Although epigenetic modifications have been intensely investigated over the last decade due to their role in crop adaptation to rapid climate change, it is unclear which epigenetic changes are heritable and therefore transmitted to their progeny. The identification of epigenetic marks that are transmitted to the next generations is of primary importance for their use in breeding and for the development of new cultivars with a broad-spectrum of tolerance/resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. In this review, we discuss general aspects of plant responses to environmental stresses and provide an overview of recent findings on the role of transgenerational epigenetic modifications in crops. In addition, we take the opportunity to describe the aims of EPI-CATCH, an international COST action consortium composed by researchers from 28 countries. The aim of this COST action launched in 2020 is: (1) to define standardized pipelines and methods used in the study of epigenetic mechanisms in plants, (2) update, share, and exchange findings in epigenetic responses to environmental stresses in plants, (3) develop new concepts and frontiers in plant epigenetics and epigenomics, (4) enhance dissemination, communication, and transfer of knowledge in plant epigenetics and epigenomics, This finalization of the review was funded by COST Action CA19125—EPIgenetic mechanisms of Crop Adaptation to Climate cHange.

Erratum to: Developing biotechnology tools for ‘beautiful’ vavilovia (Vavilovia formosa), a legume crop wild relative with taxonomic and agronomic potential (2016) 127: 649. DOI : 10.1007/s11240-016-1148-5; Beautiful vavilovia, the closest species to the common now extinct ancestor of the whole tribe Fabeae holds significant taxonomical interest and also for breeding within this group of species, which includes the most cultivated leguminous pulses in the world. In spite of this, vavilovia has attracted very scarce research to date and is in danger of complete extinction. Thus, as a part of the research carried out by an informal international group of researchers from various countries, we report here various experiments for the development and exploitation of a range of biotechnology tools for vavilovia, ranging from standard in vitro propagation, to plant regeneration from explant-derived callus, and also from protoplasts. Plants were successfully recovered following propagation from nodes, and by regeneration through organogenesis from callus derived from internodes (which provided the best responses) and leaves. Also, protoplasts were isolated from leaves and stems from in vitro shoots and from callus derived from these two explants, with the latter undergoing sustained division. Subsequently, protoplasts isolated from internode callus proliferated and also underwent organogenesis coupled with whole plant recovery at a low frequency, while protoplasts from leaf callus origin followed both organogenesis and embryogenesis simultaneously but failed to yield viable plants. Flow cytometry assessments permitted to ascertain the genetic fidelity of both propagated and regenerated plants irrespectively of the source tissue from which they were derived (i.e., either callus from explants or from protoplasts). Finally, flow cytometry also permitted us to provide the first record on the relative nuclear DNA content and genome size for Vavilovia formosa.

National audience; Cultivated fabeae legumes (pea, fababean, lentil) develop root nodules resulting from the symbiotic interaction with Rhizobium leguminosarum sv. viciae (Rlv). Individual Rlv bacteria are able to associate with various potential hosts, but in soil they are in mixture and they display a wide range of competitiveness to form nodules (CFN). Because in Rlv, CFN and capacity to fix nitrogen are genetically independent, CFN limits the effectiveness of inoculation strategies as efficient bacteria are often outcompeted by poorly efficient Rlv bacteria of the soil community. We developed a strategy to identify bacterial genes controlling CFN. A worldwide collection of 240 Rlv isolates was obtained by combining bacteria described in GenBank with new isolates obtained worldwide by pea, fababean and lentil root nodule trapping. 100 genomes (22 already in GenBank) were sequenced. The extended Rlv complex species includes probably 16 genospecies and two main groups of symbiosis plasmids that can be horizontally transferred. We identified phylogenetic clades of Rlv displaying contrasted levels of CFN upon pea and fababean. A molecular barcode was designed on nodD gene to discriminate and quantify intraspecific variability of Rlv in root systems allowing estimate CFN in symbiotic pea, fababean or lentil associations with multiple Rlv potential partners. Several plasmid regions genetically associated with pea/fababean CFN phenotypes were identified. Candidate genes include specific nod genes as well as other genes with unknown function in symbiosis.

International audience

International audience; The areas under the field pea are constantly increasing in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, pea is susceptible to a large number of diseases, especially to Ascochyta blight, which is considered as one of the most economically important diseases of legume crops throughout the world (Le May et al. 2014; Rubiales et al. 2018). In May 2016, characteristic Ascochyta blight symptoms were observed on stems and flowers of field pea plants (Pisum sativum L.) grown at Velika Ilova (northern Bosnia and Herzegovina).

International audience; Crop diversification in space and time is a key component in the design of resource -efficient cropping systems with reduced dependency on synthetic inputs. A well - known example of crop diversification is the practice of intercropping, i.e. growing two or more crops together in the same field. Intercropping grain legumes and cereals in low-input systems makes use of complementary acquisition of light, water and nutrients to enhance the crop’s resource use efficiency and competitiveness against weeds. Within-species diversification in variety mixtures may also increase yield stability, via e.g. complementary tolerance to abiotic or biotic stress. As part of the European LEGATO project, our study has investigated whether a mixture of pea (Pisum sativum L.) varieties with two types of leaf morphology can increase the legume crop’s standing ability and competitiveness against weeds. The pea varieties Dukat (normal-leafed) and Partner (semi-leafless) were grown as single varieties and variety mixtures with and without a wheat intercrop in field experiments at four locations in Europe: Serbia (Novi Sad), Sweden (Alnarp) and France in central (close to Paris) and southern (Toulouse) regions. Lodging, weed biomass and crop/intercrop grain yields were recorded during two growing seasons per location. The results showed that a variety mixture of pea can combine the beneficial traits of the single varieties with maintained legume grain yield relative to the highest-yielding variety. However, the benefits in terms of weed reduction and standing ability were not as strong in variety mixtures as in pea-wheat intercrops, which remained the most efficient mixtures.

Both Europe and China have a low level of protein autonomy. They import 30% and 60%, respectively, of the world plant protein production for both human and animal nutrition. However, in both continents, regions with appropriate agro-ecological conditions for the production of plant proteins exist. The project EUCLEG, recently granted by the H2020 programme of European Union, has the ambition to give a new momentum to forage legume (alfalfa and red clover) and grain legume (pea, faba bean and soybean) breeding. The scientific objectives of this project are i) to broaden the genetic base of legume crops, ii) to analyse the genetic diversity of European and Chinese legume accessions using phenotypic traits (yield, quality in a context of climate change) and molecular markers, iii) to analyse the genetic architecture of key breeding traits using association genetics (GWAS) and iv) to evaluate the benefits brought by genomic selection (GS) to create new legume varieties. Comprehensive searchable databases containing passport data, as well as agronomic and genetic features will be developed. The breeders that are members of EUCLEG will exploit the results to create the new varieties needed to improve protein production.

International audience; Archaeology offers evidence that growing plants together, with annual legumes as usually inevitable component, could be the most ancient cropping system in all primeval agricultural centres. With a ten millennia long tradition, intercropping annual legumes, usually with cereals and for diverse uses, has remained important all over the world until today. There is a phenomenon that brings together legume breeders and agronomists: both are aware that there are differences in the agronomic performance of the mixtures of annual legumes and other field crops if diverse annual legume cultivars are used. Wishing to understand this phenomenon properly and define its economic significance, we are establishing a firm interaction between breeders and agronomists, in order to design such annual legume ideotypes that would have the best agronomic performance when intercropped with diverse plants for either forage or grain or biomass or any other use. Our major hypotheses are that the ideotypes for intercropping are the genotypes being the most competitive in the same environment compartments or taking profit of the complementary compartments. However demanding, this is feasible: the preliminary schemes for forage and grain production, developed mostly at IFVCNS, produced encouraging results in field conditions. Joint efforts of annual legume breeders and agronomists should be beneficial for both scientific community and result in enhancing the legume cultivation and production in general.

National audience; Traditional landraces adapted to local conditions harbour alleles for traits of interest and may be of valuable contribution in enhancing the stability of maize production under increasing challenges of climatic changes. It is therefore of great importance to preserve and assess local maize populations as a potential source of favourable agronomic traits. As a part of the bilateral project DIVERZEATY between Serbia and France (2014-2015), ten local landraces and ten inbred lines, derived from local landraces of the Maize Research Institute Zemun Polje gene bank and the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops collection, were characterised at a pilot scale. The analysed accessions from diverse regions of former SFR Yugoslavia were genotyped with MaizeSNP50 BeadChip and allelic frequencies for landraces were estimated from the bulked DNA. Principal coordinate analyses showed the genotypes cover a range of diversity. Four local dent landraces grouped with Corn Belt populations, four populations grouped closely to European OPVs and Northern flints, one landrace with Italian flints and one was grouped in the Mexican cluster within the first two axes and with Corn Belt on the third and fourth coordinates. Two inbred lines, developed from the Montenegrin landraces, and one inbred line, derived from a Slovenian landrace, grouped with Northern flint lines, whereas the others clustered with Stiff Stalk ones. The landraces and lines fit well to historical data about their origin and introduction of maize in the region.

International audience; The seed is the carrier of the genetic improvements brought about by modern plant breeding, and seed production is carried out in accordance with certification systems to guarantee consistent high quality. In forage legumes, breeding efforts are primarily related to the vegetative development of the plant, although the commercial success of an agronomically superior cultivar is dependent on a reliable supply of competitively priced seed. In seed production of the three most important forage legumes, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.), and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), crop management techniques are applied to stimulate reproductive development in order to obtain high seed yields. These include a low plant density, manipulation of canopy size to avoid lodging and shading of fruiting organs, synchronization of flowering with pollinating insects as well as controlling pests. High seed yield is correlated to inflorescence density and seed yield per inflorescence, traits which should be selected for in breeding populations as moderate to high heritability has been found. However, seed yield is a genetically complex trait and in the perennial, insect-pollinated forage legumes it is further highly influenced by environmental conditions and crop management factors. Further investigations into the use of plant growth regulators and an improved understanding of the interaction between pollinators and the seed crop might improve future seed yields. There is likely to be an increasing emphasis on the role of forage legumes in producing high-quality meat and milk, combined with the requirement to reduce the environmental footprint of grassland agriculture. A high forage legume seed yield is a prerequisite to meet market requirements for new, improved cultivars and hence achieve the economic impacts of modern plant breeding for a better livelihood and environment.

BAP GEAPSI EcolDur; International audience; Faba bean is a grain legume producing protein-rich seeds and offering valuable ecological services in sustainable agriculture. Its wide-world distribution demonstrates a basic good capacity to adapt to diverse climates. Breeding represents a major lever to bring reliable yields, seed quality adapted to valuable uses, and new ecosystem services. Positive interactions with beneficial organisms such as root symbionts or pollinating insects may be amplified by the cultivar choice. Ideotypes targeted by breeders will be more efficiently achievable with well-characterised genetic resources and genomic tools. This chapter reviews the advances in both faba bean genetics and breeding, underlining the significant progress currently made on molecular genetics which will help and speed up the breeding efforts to improve targeted traits.

Although yield and total biomass produced by annual legumes remain major objectives for breeders, other issues such as environment-friendly, resource use efficiency including symbiotic performance, resilient production in the context of climate change, adaptation to sustainable cropping systems (reducing leaching, greenhouse gas emissions and pesticide residues), adaptation to diverse uses (seeds for feed, food, non-food, forage or green manure) and finally new ecological services such as pollinator protection, imply the need for definition of new ideotypes and development of innovative genotypes to enhance their commercialization. Taken as a whole, this means more complex and integrated objectives for breeders. Several illustrations will be given of breeding such complex traits for different annual legume species. Genetic diversity for root development and for the ability to establish efficient symbioses with rhizobia and mycorrhiza can contribute to better resource management (N, P, water). Shoot architectures and phenologies can contribute to yield and biotic constraint protection (parasitic weeds, diseases or insects) reducing pesticide use. Variable maturity periods and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses are key features for the introduction of annual legumes to low input cropping systems and for enlarging cultivated area. Adaptation to intercropping requires adapted genotypes. Improved health and nutritional value for humans are key objectives for developing new markets. Modifying product composition often requires the development of specific cultivars and sometimes the need to break negative genetic correlations with yield. A holistic approach in legume breeding is important for defining objectives with farmers, processors and consumers. The cultivar structures are likely to be more complex, combining genotypes, plant species and associated symbionts. New tools to build and evaluate them are important if legumes are to deliver their exciting potential in terms of agricultural productivity and sustainability as well as for feed and food.

International audience; Main conclusion Vavilovia formosa (Stev.) Fed. is a scientifically valuable common ancestor of the plant tribe Fabeae and also important in breeding and agronomy studies of the cultivated Fabeae, but it is close to extinction. A concerted academic and geovernmental effort is needed to save it. Abstract Since 2007, an informal international group of researchers on legumes has been working to increase awareness of Vavilovia formosa (Stev.) Fed., a relict and endangered wild-land relative to crop plant species. A majority of the modern botanical classifications place it within the tribe Fabeae, together with the genera vetchling (Lathyrus L.), lentil (Lens Mill.), pea (Pisum L.) and vetch (Vicia L.). V. formosa is encountered at altitudes from 1,500 m up to 3,500 m in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Russia, Syria and Turkey. This species may be of extraordinary importance for broadening current scientific knowledge on legume evolution and taxonomy because of its proximity to the hypothetical common ancestor of the tribe Fabeae, as well as for breeding and agronomy of the cultivated Fabeae species due to its perenniality and stress resistance. All this may be feasible only if a concerted and long-term conservation strategy is established and carried out by both academic and geovernmental authorities. The existing populations of V. formosa are in serious danger of extinction. The main threats are domestic and wild animal grazing, foraging, and early frosts in late summer. A long-term strategy to save V. formosa from extinction and to sustain its use in both basic and applied research comprises much improved in situ preservation, greater efforts for an ex situ conservation, and novel approaches of in vitro propagation.

International audience; Through the decades of research on various legume species and crops worldwide, its results have been published in an endless number of national and international journals and magazines dealing with various topics. It is certain that the articles on genetics, propelled by Mendel’s pioneering work, are among the most numerous, but it is also true that those on agronomy, agro-ecology, or stress tolerance were produced rather abundantly. So far, there has not been a journal devoted specifically to legume science, except Legume Research published by the Agricultural Research Communication Centre, India. We have published our articles in several crop-specific journals, such as Bean Improvement Cooperative Annual Report, Journal of Lentil Research, Lathyrus Lathyrism Newsletter, Pisum Genetics or Soybean Genetics Newsletter: however, some of these no longer exist. A unique publication in the world of legume science, research and promotion was Grain Legumes, published by the European Association for Grain Legume Research (AEP), with 57 issues published from 1992 to 2011. With the official registration of a novel International Legume Society (LS) on 1st April 2013, an initiative was born among the researchers on all legume crop groups, including grain legumes, forage legumes, soybean, tree legumes, ornamental legumes or pharmaceutical legumes, and all legume research topics, ranging from genomics, genetic resources and breeding to agronomy, agro-ecology and stress tolerance, to establish a magazinelike journal, named Legume Perspectives. Following the tradition of Grain Legumes, each of its four issues per year will be devoted to a specific legume crop or research topic, with several brief but rather informative and updated reviews supplemented by a few research articles, and important announcements for the global legume community. We are deeply convinced that Legume Perspectives will serve well the members of the International Legume Society and all interested in legumes in general, and will successfully meet the criteria for an innovative, serious, useful, interesting and regularly issued publication.

International audience; Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) originated in Central Asian centre of diversity. Faba bean is one of the most ancient cultivated plant species in the world, along with several other grain legumes, and cereals. Numerous archaeobotanical fi ndings, supported by rich linguistic evidence (1), witness its early and rapid distribution during Neolithic from Near East to Europe, North Africa and Central and East Asia and an important role it had in everyday diets of the ancestors of modern Old World nations. Today, faba bean is one of the most important annual legume crops for human consumption, animal feeding and for non-food purposes. Conservation and sustainable utilisation of faba bean genetic resources play the most signifi cant role in contemporary faba bean breeding programmes and developing novel faba bean cultivars with high and stable grain yield, enhanced quality aspects and improved resistance to both abiotic and biotic stresses (2). Serbia is an example of a country where faba bean used to be cultivated to a great extent until few centuries ago, when it was gradually and in the end almost fully replaced by common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Today, faba bean has survived at several locations in Bačka and Srem, in the north, and especially in the areas adjacent to the valley of the river South Morava, in central and southeast parts of the country (3). Since 2009, expeditions have been made to local green markets and households of these regions, aiming at collecting locally grown and maintained faba bean landraces. A small-plot trial has been carried out during 2011 and 2012 at the Experimental Field of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops at Rimski Šančevi, including 30 local landraces of faba bean from several villages in the vicinity of Kruševac. The two-year average highest grain yield was in the population Gaglovo 3 (4537 kg ha-1), while the highest two-year average crude protein content was in the population Pepeljevac (284 g kg-1). Further research will comprise the evaluation of tannin contents and other nutritional aspects.

International audience; Vavilovia formosa (Stev.) Fed. is a relict, endangered species from the highlands of Caucasus and Near East. It was described in 1812, with often uncertain status and finally recognised as a separate genus of the tribe Fabeae Rchb. Our informal international group was established in 2007 to revive the interest in this species since it had been seriously neglected for decades. This review gives an overview of the accumulated knowledge on V. formosa and presents the results of its most recent multidisciplinary research. Three expeditions were made to two locations in Armenia in 2009, providing the material for anatomical, morphological, chemical and molecular analysis. Unlike previous attempts, ex situ conservation in Yerevan and in vitro propagation, important for potential interspecies hybridisation, are successful. Molecular tools were used to clarify the taxonomical position of V. formosa, often considered the closest to the extinct ancestor of the whole tribe. The analysis of four informative regions of chloroplast and nuclear DNA showed that V. formosa belonged to the same clade with Lathyrus and Pisum and with a distinct status. Preservation and maintenance of V. formosa remains the only basis for further development of all other scientific aspects, especially breeding and uses in agronomy. Acknowledgements The project TR-31024 of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia and the project Sustainable preservation of indigenous South East European legumes and their traditional food and feed products (SEELEGUMES) within the EU SEE-ERA.PLUS Net programme (2010-2011).

International audience; Today, faba bean (Vicia faba L.) in Serbia is almost completely replaced with Phaseolus beans and has become a neglected crop with no official data. A recently launched action of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops and the Faculty of Agriculture in Novi Sad is aimed at the identification of the regions in Serbia where faba bean, known in Serbian as bob, could still be found. This was essentially enhanced by the multilateral project ECO-NET 18817 Search for new genetic variability in pea (Pisum sativum) and faba bean (Vicia faba L.) to support the development of sustainable agricultures, with duration in 2008 and 2009 and involving partners from France, Bulgaria, Russia, Serbia and Republic of Srpska. The main regions in Serbia where faba bean is cultivated are the last section of the Southern Morava and its joint mouth with the Western Morava into the Great Morava, as well as in neighbouring regions in southeastern Serbia and northwestern Bačka. Each household usually maintains its own faba bean landrace, with rare exchanges with the others. It is usually produced to fit the needs of a household, along with other pulses such as common bean or pea (Pisum sativum L.). Faba bean in central Serbia is sown in late February or early March, with (30 x 20) cm distribution and several plants in one hole. A part of the harvested seed is put aside for the next sowing. The faba bean is usually prepared during the Christmas fast, lasting six weeks, when according to the ancient rules of the Christian Orthodox Church, no meat, eggs or dairy products are allowed. The aspic made of faba bean is especially popular at the feasts called in Serbian slava, dedicated to the patron saint of a family. By early 2012, more than 40 faba bean landraces from Serbia and few from Srpska have been collected, with the joint action continuing and enriching the achieved results.

International audience; Vavilovia formosa is a relict, endangered species from the highlands of the Caucasus and the Near East. Described in 1812, it has had an uncertain status and was finally recognized as a separate genus of tribe Fabeae (Fabaceae). Our informal international group was established in 2007 to revive the interest in this species as it had been seriously neglected for decades. Here, we provide an overview of the accumulated knowledge on V. formosa and present the results of the most recent multidisciplinary research. Three expeditions were made to two locations in Armenia in 2009, providing the material for anatomical, morphological, chemical and molecular analysis. Unlike previous attempts, ex situ conservation in Yerevan and in vitro propagation, important for potential interspecific hybridization, were successful. Molecular tools were used to clarify the taxonomic position of V. formosa, often considered the closest to the extinct ancestor of the whole tribe. The analysis of four informative regions of plastid and nuclear DNA showed that V.formosa belongs to the same clade as Lathyrus and Pisum, with a distinct status. Preservation and maintenance of V. formosa remains the only basis for further development of all other scientific aspects, especially breeding and uses in agronomy.

Chapitre 4; International audience; Pea is considered rather well adapted to wide temperature ranges, with seedlings able to survive even -20 °C. From a physiological viewpoint, pea becomes tolerant to frost if first exposed to low non-freezing temperatures, causing the so-called cold acclimation. Delayed floral initiation helps some forage pea genotypes to escape the main winter freezing periods, as susceptibility to frost increases during the transition to the reproductive state. The oldest winter pea cultivars carry the dominant allele, Hr, although some bear hr. They are generally characterized by prominent winter hardiness and a long growing season, from sowing in early October until either cutting for forage production in late May or harvesting seeds in mid-July. The average forage yields in the winter forage pea cultivars often exceed 45 t ha-1 of green forage, 9 t ha-1 of forage dry matter and 1700 kg ha-1 of forage crude protein. Modern dry pea cultivars have advanced winter hardiness and enhanced dry grain production. They are already in use in other temperate regions in both Europe, especially France, and the USA. One of the strategic advantages of fall-sown dry pea cultivars of recent release is their significantly improved earliness.These cultivars are regularly at least one week earlier than winter barley, providing many farmers with the novel opportunity of not having to choose between pea and cereals, since many have only one combine harvester available and give priority to their cereals. Furthermore, fall-sown dry pea cultivars may have increased grain dry matter crude protein content and it is possible to merge winter hardiness and low content of antinutritional factors. Low thousand seed weight, not exceeding 200 g, and a population density of 75-80 plants m-2 provide inexpensive sowing. All these outcomes should result in an increased area and production of dry pea in many temperate regions. In the end, growing winter-hardy pea cultivars also mean a significant shift into the wetter half of the year and thus mitigating more and more prominent and unpredictable effects of spring droughts, demonstrating an efficient answer to the challenges of climatic changes.

International audience

International audience; Carefully designed intercropping systems can have many advantages in comparison to monocropping such as increased forage yield, enhanced weed control, reduced soil erosion and, in the case of legumes, improved soil fertility due to their symbiosis with nitrogen-fixating bacteria. In addition the use of forage legumes is increasing for the rations of ruminants because legumes supply animal husbandrywith protein-rich diets. Due to lower forage yield from perennial legumes in the first planting year and a critical standing ability of annual forage legumes, farmers tend to establish these crops with a companion crop. The first trials in Serbia studied the role an annual legume in the establishment of a perennial legume. Field pea cultivars with reduced plant height, semi-leafless leaf types and improved lodging tolerance were included together with a pure red clover stand and its mixture with oats as controls. When sown as the companion crop an annual forage legume can provide an economic yield during the perennial forage crop establishment. In average, field pea as a companion crop increases forage annual dry matter yield by 2.56 t ha 1 and reduces weeds in red clover stand by 29%. Another group of trials involved mixtures of autumn-sown cool season, springsown cool season and warm season annual legumes for forage production. Here one plant had good and another poor standing ability and with concurring development stages and similar growth habit. There were economically justified intercrops with Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) values of forage dry matter yield higher than 1, such as winter faba bean with winter common vetch (1.42), spring faba bean with spring grass pea (1.44) and pigeon pea with lablab bean (1.12). The achieved results in the mutual legume intercropping research in Serbia encourage the similar research in the neighbouringWest Balkan Countries and other European temperate regions.

International audience

International audience; Today, faba bean (Vicia faba L.) in Serbia is almost an extinct crop, without official data on harvested area or production for decades. However, faba bean survived in certain parts of the country, especially along the rivers Southern and Great Morava, in the centre, and in Backa, in the north. In these parts, faba bean is cultivated mostly to suit one's own needs and sporadically is brought to green markets. It is grown as a garden crop, with sowing either in spring or during winter in order to achieve faster growth in comparison to the first schedule. First steps towards the conservation of faba bean local landraces in Serbia have been made within the multilateral project ECO-NET 18817 (2008-2009) between France, Bulgaria, Russia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with about 30 populations collected, and will be proceeded with within the recently launched bilateral project LEG-HIVER between Serbia and France, with multilevel characterisation and evaluation planned

International audience

International audience

International audience

International audience; Both Europe and China have a low level of protein autonomy. They import 30% and 60%, respectively, of the world plant protein production for both human and animal nutrition. However, in both continents, regions with appropriate agro-ecological conditions for the production of plant proteins exist. The project EUCLEG, recently granted by the H2020 programme of European Union, has the ambition to give a new momentum to forage legume (alfalfa and red clover) and grain legume (pea, faba bean and soybean) breeding. The scientific objectives of this project are (i) to broaden the genetic base of legume crops, (ii) to analyse the genetic diversity of European and Chinese legume accessions using phenotypic traits (yield, quality in a context of climate change) and molecular markers, (iii) to analyse the genetic architecture of key breeding traits using association genetics (GWAS) and (iv) to evaluate the benefits brought by genomic selection (GS) to create new legume varieties. Comprehensive searchable databases containing passport data, as well as agronomic and genetic features will be developed. The breeders that are members of EUCLEG will exploit the results to create the new varieties needed to improve protein production.