Evaluation of faba bean germplasm for drought tolerance

Drought is a recurrent challenge for agriculture around the world, compromising yields and even the survival of crops. Developing strategies to confront the lack of water is a key issue for modern agriculture, moreover in the context of a changing climate. Breeding plays a majar role in this situation, with the introduction of varieties adapted to more dry ecosystems. The identification of genotypes showing tolerance to drought is, then, of great interest. The aim of our work was the identification of genotypes of faba bean that might be employed in breeding for drought. We have tested the response to drought of genotypes previously selected for their performance under biotic stress, mainly diseases. A preliminary trial under controlled conditions permitted to define a visual scale for drought symptoms in faba bean, and to establish the experimental conditions for an optimal discrimination of responses. In a second experiment, a collection of 36 genotypes was assessed. Symptoms were scored for three weeks after the interruption of watering; relative water content of soil was also measured. Results have permitted the identification of a subset of genotypes presenting promising responses. The evaluation of physiological parameters as well as of enzymatic activities in the selected genotypes will be part of future work.