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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Plant Germplasm Introduction and Testing Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #248898
Title: First-year results of evaluating winter-hardiness of 55 faba bean (Vicia faba L.) accessions from the NPGS collection

Author
item Hu, Jinguo
item MWENGI, JOLENE - Washington State University
item Coyne, Clarice - Clare
item PAN, WILLIAM - Washington State University

Submitted to: Pisum Genetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/15/2009
Publication Date: 12/30/2009
Citation: Hu, J., Mwengi, J.E., Coyne, C.J., Pan, W.L. 2009. First-year results of evaluating winter-hardiness of 55 faba bean (Vicia faba L.) accessions from the NPGS collection. Pisum Genetics. 41:57-58.

Interpretive Summary: Grain legumes are the ideal crops in rotation with cereal crops since legumes have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen via symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia bacteria. Currently, only winter-hardy peas and lentils are used in rotation with wheat in the Palouse region of Washington and Idaho. It has been reported that faba bean (Vicia faba L.) has the same winter-hardiness as lentil and better than pea. The objective of this project is to evaluate the winter-hardiness of the faba bean accessions in NPGS collection in Pullman and identify winter-hardy genotypes for future crop development. This paper reports the first year results of a two-location, replicated field trial of winterhardiness of 55 faba bean accessions maintained by the USDA-ARS Western Regional Plant Introduction Station in Pullman, WA. It was observed that there is a high level of variation in winter hardiness among the accessions, which showed different responses to the low temperature during the winter. Some exhibited little or no damage and others were severely damaged in both locations. It was also observed that some accessions had the ability to send out shoots from the lower nodes of the stem. This “regrow” ability was observed after the leaves of the upper nodes were damaged or killed by low temperatures and could be used as one of the criteria to measure winter hardiness of faba bean. Our preliminary results suggested that the accessions with high level of winter hardiness have the potential to be developed into an alternative fall-planting rotation crop.

Technical Abstract: A two-location, replicated field trial was conducted to study the winterhardiness of 55 faba bean accessions maintained by the USDA-ARS Western Regional Plant Introduction Station in Pullman, WA. Thirty seeds from each entry were planted in single row plot (3.05 m long with 1.52 m between rows) in Pullman on September 29 and in Central Ferry on October 8, 2008. A one-to-four scale was used to score the winter hardiness (1: no or little damage and 4: severe damage). The plots were harvested on June 2009 and seed yield was measured. We observed a high level of variation in winter hardiness among the accessions, which showed different responses to the low temperature during the winter. Some exhibited little or no damage and others were severely damaged in both locations. All accessions survived in Central Ferry while several accessions were completely dead in Pullman. A significant correlation exists between the winter hardiness score and the average plot yield ranging from 27 to 405 grams. The mean yield per plot for 32 accessions with winter hardiness scores above 2 was 160 grams and that of 23 accessions with winter hardiness scores 1 and 2 was 230 grams. It was also observed that some accessions had the ability to send out shoots from the lower nodes of the stem. This “regrow” ability was observed after the leaves of the upper nodes were damaged or killed by low temperatures and could be used as one of the criteria to measure winter hardiness of faba bean. Our preliminary results suggested that the accessions with high level of winter hardiness have the potential to be developed into an alternative fall-planting rotation crop.