N-44
Impact of Planting Dates and Irrigation Regimes on Growth, Seed Yield, Stomatal Density and Drought Tolerance on Chickpea (Cicer Arientum L.) Accessions
Dipanjoli Baral Dola, University of Wyoming
ddola@uwyo.edu
Co-authors: Jim J. Heitholt, Donna K. Harris
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a globally important legume, particularly suited to semi-arid regions where water scarcity and planting time are critical determinants of crop productivity and quality. This field experiment evaluated 37 genotypes—13 desi and 24 kabuli—under three irrigation regimes (100%, 80%, and 60% of crop evapotranspiration, ET) and three planting dates (early, mid, and late) to assess yield, water use efficiency (WUE), physiological traits, and seed quality. Both irrigation and planting date significantly influenced yield and WUE. The highest yield occurred under 100% ET, with a 16% increase over 60% ET. Early planting combined with full irrigation produced maximum yield, whereas yield declined sharply under severe stress. In contrast, mid and late planting dates maintained more stable performance in water-limited conditions. The combination of late planting and 60% ET achieved the greatest WUE, highlighting its relevance in water-scarce environments. Genotypic variation was evident: desi types exhibited significantly higher protein content than kabuli. While kabuli required more water and longer maturity, their superior yield maintained comparable WUE. A negative correlation between yield and protein confirmed a trade-off between productivity and nutritional quality. Analysis of stomatal density showed no significant effect of irrigation or planting date; however, market class differences were distinct. Desi genotypes had significantly higher adaxial and abaxial stomatal density than kabuli. Correlation analysis revealed that protein content was positively associated with stomatal density, while yield was negatively correlated with both adaxial and abaxial stomatal density. Strong correlations were observed between 100-seed weight and yield, and between adaxial and abaxial stomatal density. These findings suggest that although stomatal density varies by market class and influences seed protein, it does not directly confer a yield advantage under stress conditions. Among genotypes, 'Frontier' consistently produced the highest yield, while PI 254549, Sawyer, Pegasus, Bronic, UC 27, and Orion displayed strong drought tolerance. This study highlights the importance of integrating genotype selection, irrigation scheduling, and planting time to optimize chickpea resilience and productivity under variable water availability. Multi-location and multi-season validation will be essential for broader application.
N-45
Impact of Fungicide Application Timing on Ascochyta Blight Disease Severity and Yield in Chickpea in Northeastern Montana
Vishal Monga, Montana State University
vishal.monga@student.montana.edu
Co-authors: Alma Chinchilla, Caitlin C. Gross, Uta McKelvy, Frankie K. Crutcher
Chickpea is an important crop for dryland farming systems in northern great plains, but diseases pose a major threat to production. Among them, Ascochyta blight, caused by the fungal pathogen Ascochyta rabiei, is a significant constraint to chickpea (Cicer arietinum) production. The disease originates from infected seeds or airborne ascospores, leading to pycnidiospore production that drives secondary infections. Preventive measures such as seed testing, crop rotation, and resistant cultivars play a vital role in managing AB. Once the disease occurs during the growing season, fungicide applications are the most effective control method, but their effectiveness depends on application timing. To identify optimal fungicide timing, a field study was conducted at EARC, Sidney, MT in 2024 using a susceptible and a moderately resistant kabuli-type chickpea variety: Sierra and CDC Orion, respectively. The trial evaluated four fungicide application timings: (1) early application, (2) at first appearance of symptoms, (3) at flowering, and (4) late application. Each timing was evaluated at two application frequencies: minimum (second spray 28 days after the first) and maximum (second spray 14 days after the first), using three fungicides in rotations: pydiflumetofen + difenoconazole (Miravis® Top), prothioconazole (Proline®), and chlorothalonil (Bravo WeatherStik®). A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was employed with four replications across blocks. Both fungicide timing and frequency significantly influenced disease severity and yield in both varieties (P < 0.001, each), while there was no difference in disease severity between varieties P > 0.05). The lowest disease severity was observed when fungicide application initiated early or late and repeated in every two weeks (maximum), where last application was done in late July. In contrast, untreated control showed the highest disease severity among treatments. Yields for both varieties showed a strong negative correlation with disease severity (r = –0.67, P < 0.001). The treatments with maximum fungicide applications had significantly greater yields among treatments (P <0.001). Results from this one-year study underscore the importance of strategic fungicide management, where both timing and frequency of applications are critical. Specifically, continuing a fungicide regime into the late season is essential for minimizing disease pressure and maximizing chickpea yield.
N-46
Detection of Pulse Soilborne Pathogens in Montana and Their Relationship to Soil Properties
Carmen Murphy, Montana State University
carmenmurphy@montana.edu
Co-authors: Brelsford M, Gunnink Troth E, McKelvy U
In the past twenty years, the acreage of pulse crops in Montana has steadily risen. Along with this increased production has been a surge in soilborne root rot pathogens across the state, particularly in dry pea and lentil fields. Over time, the pathogen structures can build up in the soil system, leading to yield loss, reduced quality, and crop failure in severe cases. Soil surveys were conducted in Montana pulse fields at four sites with root rot symptoms, and one healthy site. Symptoms scouted for were yellow foliage, plant stunting, water-soaked or thin roots with honey to black discoloration, root lesions at the seed attachment, reduced nodulation, and dying or dead plants. Soil was used in greenhouse bioassays for conducting root rot severity ratings. Soil and plants were also used in qPCR panels which revealed the presence of known pulse crop root rots: Aphanomyces euteiches, Fusarium redolens, F. solani, F. avenaceum, F. oxysporum, and Pythium spp. Fusarium spp. were ubiquitous in samples, while A. euteiches was found in 70% of sites, and Pythium in 45% of sites. Phytophthora root rot was not detected. Pathogen DNA was also found in field sites without root rot symptoms. Soil pH, organic matter, texture, and moisture impacted root rot severity. This work is useful for predicting risk of root rot, designing management strategies, and for informing disease breeding programs.
N-47
Are Pre-season Soil Tests a Useful Tool to Predict Root-rot in Pulse Crop Fields?
Monica Brelsford, Montana State University
monica.brelsford@montana.edu
Co-authors: Uta McKelvy, Carmen Murphy, Malaika Ebert, and Francisco Bittara Molina
Aphanomyces and Fusarium are the predominant and most difficult-to-manage root rot-causing pathogens in dry peas and lentils. In North Dakota and Montana, where pulse crops are critically important for maintaining the economic and environmental sustainability of farm operations, Aphanomyces root rot has become one of the most yield-limiting diseases of field pea and lentil. The pathogen can persist at high levels in field soil, causing devastation under conducive environmental conditions. Because symptoms are primarily below ground, farmers are unaware that they are losing yield to these diseases until they become unmanageable. Once disease reaches visibly damaging levels, growers have historically abandoned growing peas and lentils altogether. A prediction tool that would allow growers to assess fields for root rot risk before planting would enable proactive risk management decisions, preserving fields for future pulse production. This is particularly important in new acres, as early detection in an area will encourage preventative practices. In this first season, we sampled field soils at 3 time points: pre-season, at flowering and after crop harvest for nine soilborne root rot pathogens. Using soil samples, root samples and conducting bioassays, we are developing pre-season soil sampling protocols that will increase the accuracy and reliability of soilborne pathogen detection. Our long-term goal is to predict the spatiotemporal occurrence of root rot and assist growers in mitigating their disease risk by making informed decisions.
N-48
Field Pea Response to Planting Dates in South Carolina Organic Cropping Systems
Tristan Lawrence, Clemson University
tjlawre@clemson.edu
Co-authors: Thavarajah D
Field peas (Pisum sativum) are not widely cultivated in South Carolina, resulting in limited agronomic data to support farmers interested in this crop. However, field peas hold significant promise as a cool season crop for both organic and conventional growers in the region. Most commercially available field pea varieties are evaluated and bred for the Pacific Northwest, where environmental conditions differ substantially from those in the southeastern United States. Consequently, there is a lack of region-specific recommendations for successful cultivation in South Carolina. To address this gap, a two-year planting date study was conducted during the 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 growing seasons to identify the optimal planting window for field peas in South Carolina. Five high-performing commercial varieties were selected based on prior multi-year trial data. Four varieties were chosen to represent a range of maturity classes and growth habits, while one variety with average maturity served as a control. The study utilized a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four planting date treatments, each spaced approximately 14 days apart, except for the final planting. Planting dates ranged from mid-October to late January. Each planting date block included three replicates per variety and was bordered to minimize edge effects. Entries were agronomically evaluated every 21 to 28 days using the Pheno App 'Field Book' weekly to assess vigor, growth, and agronomic performance.
Across both years of the study, results consistently demonstrated that the latest planting date (Planting Date 4, late January) produced significantly higher yields and superior agronomic performance compared to earlier planting dates. Early planting dates were adversely affected by low temperatures, elevated precipitation, and extended cropping cycles. Freezing conditions during key developmental stages, particularly the vegetative and flowering phases, resulted in increased susceptibility to frost damage. This exposure led to irreversible damage to plant tissues, resulting in either complete crop failure or severe reductions in agronomic performance. These differences were statistically significant, underscoring the importance of planting time in optimizing field pea production under South Carolina conditions. The early-maturing varieties outperformed late-maturing ones, suggesting that shorter growth cycles may offer resilience against environmental stressors. The study further highlighted the critical role of climate and growth cycle duration in field pea development. These findings emphasize the need for region-specific planting recommendations that account for climatic variability and phenological sensitivity to ensure successful field pea cultivation in the southeastern United States.
N-49
Genome-Wide Association Study of Lentil Raffinose Family Oligosaccharides Toward Improved Heat Stress Tolerance
Mark Dempsey, Clemson University
dempse8@clemson.edu
Co-authors: Bridges, W., Thavarajah, D.
Lentil is a nutrient-rich, cool-season crop that is a staple in many parts of the world. However, its performance is threatened by climate change, where higher temperatures can reduce seed yield and nutritional quality. Further, attempts to adapt lentil to new environments such as the Southeastern U.S., where it can be grown as a winter crop, may be hindered by higher temperatures during reproductive stages, also reducing yield and nutritional quality. One mechanism by which plants cope with heat stress is the production of raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs). The objective of this research was to identify genomic regions associated with RFO biosynthesis to inform future breeding efforts to develop heat-tolerant cultivars. To achieve this, 446 genotypes were evaluated at two locations in South Carolina, U.S., over three years (2022–2024; five environments) in an alpha-lattice design. To quantify RFOs in lentil seeds, a high-throughput technique was developed using Fourier-transform mid-infrared (FT-MIR) spectroscopy, which was calibrated and validated using high-performance anion exchange chromatography. Genetic data were obtained by genotyping-by-sequencing and whole-genome sequencing. RFO concentrations varied widely among genotypes and environments. Genome-wide association study identified significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with RFO concentrations. This research builds upon work by other authors to identify the genes responsible for RFO biosynthesis. Once validated, SNPs could be used to accelerate the development of heat-tolerant cultivars that can protect lentil performance in the face of a warming climate, and allow lentil to be grown in new environments.
N-50
Assembling a Chickpea Diversity Panel to Develop Genetic and Genomic Resources for Organic Breeding in South Carolina
Carolina Ballén-Taborda, Clemson University
acballe@clemson.edu
Co-authors: Tristan Lawrence, Emerson Shipe, Shiv Kumar, George Vandemark, Dil Thavarajah
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a nutrient-dense cool-season food legume that provides food security for global populations. Organic chickpea production in the southeastern U.S. is limited due to the lack of adapted, high-performing cultivars suitable for winter production with low-input organic cropping systems. This project aims to develop an organic chickpea breeding pipeline by exploiting genetic diversity and integrating on-farm testing, high-throughput phenotyping, trait discovery and genomic-enabled breeding strategies. Three sets of accessions were selected to assemble a new breeding panel and will be evaluated in field trials. First, a total of 263 chickpea accessions of the USDA mini-core, along with four check cultivars (CDC Palmer, CDC Leader, New Hope, and Nash), were evaluated at the USDA-certified organic farm at Walter P. Rawl & Sons in Pelion, SC. Measured traits included stand/germinating score (GS, 1 = high to 5 = low), days to flowering (DTF), days to maturity (DTM), and overall performance (1=best and 5=poorest). From these, 38 accessions that scored “1” were selected. Second, 36 advanced chickpea breeding lines obtained from ICARDA, Egypt, were grown in the greenhouse for seed increase. Finally, 279 accessions for USDA-GRIN were selected based on the following criteria: plant height ≥ overall mean-SD (≥26 cm), DTF between 40-55 days, medium seed size (2,3 and 4), only “desi” seed type, and protein content ≥ mean of 15.3%. The diversity panel will be tested on multi-environment trials to evaluate variation in yield, agronomic traits, nutritional quality, and organic adaptability. Phenotypic data paired with high-density genotypes will be used for trait discovery, marker development and genome-wide prediction to accelerate genetic gain. All collected data will be curated, integrated and managed in BreedBase to ensure public access and support long-term breeding decisions. This work contributes to chickpea biofortification and superior cultivar development for winter production in organic systems in the southeastern U.S.
N-51
Genomic Mapping of the Determinant of Anthocyanin Production in the Pods of Pisum Sativum
Sadie Cooper, Cornell University
sbc87@cornell.edu
Co-authors: Gregory Inzinna, Micheal Mazourek
Although traditionally underrepresented and undesired in the industry, purple or red-podded Pisum sativum varieties are becoming increasingly prevalent. Notable releases from Cornell University, such as ‘Beauregarde’ and ‘Cardinal’, and those from breeder Calvin Lamborn, sport pigmented pods. The genetic basis of pigmentation of different tissues in Pisum sativum caused by anthocyanin biosynthesis has been previously studied, such as Mendel’s A gene which encodes a transcription factor necessary for anthocyanin biosynthesis globally in the plant, and B gene, which is responsible for the differentiation between delphinidin anthocyanins versus cyanidins. The purple versus green pod phenotype was associated with the genetic loci Pur and Pu. Mendel’s classic B gene, which in recessive form is responsible for the pink pigmentation of flowers, is also correlated with the red pigmentation seen in pods. Our study aims to genomically map the determinants of the pod pigmentation trait in Pisum sativum. To do this, the red-podded cultivar ‘Cardinal’ (AAbb) was crossed with the green-podded cultivar ‘Sugar Prince’ (aaBB). All individuals in the F1 generation had purple pods. In the F2 generation, segregation of multiple pigmentation traits was observed. Flower color did not segregate in the expected Mendelian ratio, with purple-flowered individuals being overrepresented. Despite this, pod color segregated in a Mendelian fashion–producing the expected ratios of green, purple, and red pods. To investigate the genetic control of pigmentation, 94 individuals in the F4 generation of the ‘Cardinal’ x ‘Sugar Prince’ cross, including 40 green-podded and 40 pigmented-podded individuals as well as parental lines and key lines in the parents’ pedigrees, were genotyped. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) was performed using the ApeKI enzyme through the University of Wisconsin-Madison sequencing services. Sequencing reads were aligned to the Cameor reference genome, and a VCF file was generated for further analysis. Variants were filtered for sufficient read depth, missing data, and minor allele frequency–with 134,568 high-quality SNPs remaining after filtering. To identify loci associated with anthocyanin production within this population, QTL-seq analysis will be conducted on bulks of individuals. Results of these analyses–along with any other supporting genomic or statistical analyses–will be presented.
N-52
Genetic Mapping of a Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Diversity Panel for Mineral Biofortification Towards Human Nutrition
Sonia Salaria, Clemson University
ssalari@g.clemson.edu
Co-authors: George Vandemark, Dil Thavarajah
Chickpea is a highly nutritious pulse crop rich in protein, low-digestible carbohydrates, and micronutrients. Chickpeas are a staple diet, particularly in Asian and African countries, to provide adequate protein and micronutrients. Mineral biofortification of chickpeas is vital to prevent ‘hidden hunger’ globally. The present study was conducted in a chickpea diversity panel with 256 accessions (Kabuli and desi types) to explore the mineral concentration (Calcium: Ca, potassium: K; magnesium: Mg; phosphorus: P; copper: Cu; iron: Fe; manganese: Mn; selenium: Se and zinc: Zn). The results indicated wide phenotypic genetic variation for minerals’ concentrations, Ca (86.1–279.5 mg/100 g), K (832.7–1287.1 mg/100 g), Mg (112.8–166.3 mg/100g), P (316.8–478.2 mg/100g), Cu (0.5–1.2 mg/100g), Fe (3.8–8.8 mg/100g), Mn (2.8–6.1 mg/100g), Se (0–0.1 mg/100g) and Zn (1.7–3.2 mg/100g). Likewise, the percent recommended daily allowances (% RDA) was also high for Ca (8.6%–27.9%), K (27.8%–42.9%), Mg (27.5%–40.4%), P (45.3%–68.3%), Cu (56.7%–137.8%), Fe (29.5%–67.5%), Mn (134.2%–295.6%), Se (0%–100%) and Zn (18%–33.2%). Moderate to strong positively significant correlations were found among all minerals except for a significantly negative correlation between Ca and K. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were conducted to explore genotypic variation using genomic tools. Fourteen significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified for Ca, Mg, P, Mn, and Zn. Admixture population structure analysis revealed nine subpopulations based on ancestral diversity in this panel. It is possible to achieve chickpea mineral biofortification using conventional plant breeding and genomic techniques.
N-53
Flavor Chemistry and Genetics of Organic Pea (Pisum sativum L.)
Nathan Windsor, Clemson University
nwindso@clemson.edu
Co-authors: Chamodi Senarathne, Carolina Ballen Taborda, Diego Rubiales, Dil Thavarajah
Understanding flavor chemistry is vital for breeding organic dry pea cultivars with fewer off-flavors and odors. Off-flavors like beany, earthy, grassy, and bitter notes, caused by volatile and non-volatile organic compounds, affect consumer acceptance. Specific non-volatile precursors contribute volatile flavors via enzymatic reactions such as lipoxygenase-catalyzed degradation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. This study aims to characterize the type and concentration of the molecular precursors responsible for off-flavors in the Spanish pea (Pisum sativum L.) diversity panel and identify biochemical and candidate genes influencing the pea flavor. Pea seeds were collected from the diversity panel from Spain’s Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (IAS) and the USDA’s pea single plant collection (PSP). The field experiment was conducted at the USDA-certified organic on-farm locations in South Carolina, an alpha lattice design with two replications for two years. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry was used to quantify fatty acid esters (oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acid esters) responsible for beany and grassy notes, along with terpenoids and phytosterols (β-amyrin, γ-tocopherol, stigmasterol, and γ-sitosterol), which contribute to bitterness and texture. Ion Exchange Chromatography quantified organic acid (lactic, shikimic, quinic, malic, succinic, tartaric, and citric acids) concentrations influencing astringency. The results showed total fatty acid ester concentrations of 2703± 18.5 mg/100 g, total organic acid concentrations of 63.2 ± 0.41 mg/100 g, total terpenoid concentrations of 1.26 ± 0.00 mg/100 g, and total phytosterol concentrations of 5.47 ± 0.01 mg/100 g. Genetic analysis is ongoing to identify the candidate genes responsible for organic pea flavors. With advanced genomic, phenomic, and conventional breeding methods, improving the organic dry pea flavors for human consumption is possible.
N-54
High Protein Content in Peas Does Not Necessarily Translate to Improved Gastrointestinal Digestibility or Amino Acid Bioaccessibility
Sayantini Paul, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
spaul11@huskers.unl.edu
Co-authors: Dipak Santra, Kaustav Majumder
With increasing interest in plant-based proteins, peas (Pisum sativum L.) serve as a vital source of plant protein. Protein concentrations in different pea cultivars typically range from 20% to 30%, yet protein quantity alone may not accurately reflect gastrointestinal (GI) digestibility or amino acid bioaccessibility. This study investigated four Nebraska-grown high-yielding pea varieties, Carver, Profit, Spider, and Earlystar, with an emphasis on protein content, digestibility, and antinutritive factors.
Carver exhibited the highest soluble protein content (29.3%), followed by Profit (27.0%), Spider (24.5%), and Earlystar (20.5%). A greater legumin-to-vicilin ratio was observed in high-protein varieties. Samples were soaked (16 h) and cooked (25 min, 85–90 °C), then subjected to standardized in vitro GI digestion (INFOGEST protocol). Both Carver and Profit displayed enhanced digestibility in the gastric and intestinal phases relative to Earlystar and Spider. Correspondingly, peptide abundance was greater in Carver (442.34 µg/mg) and Profit (390.29 µg/mg), compared with Spider (370.50 µg/mg) and Earlystar (330.56 µg/mg). The degree of hydrolysis (DH) varied among cultivars, with Profit exhibiting the highest value (37%), followed by Carver (34%), Earlystar (33%), and Spider (30.5%). Free amino acid release was also elevated in Carver and Profit, consistent with higher protein hydrolysis.
Antinutritive factors such as phytic acid, protease inhibitors (trypsin & chymotrypsin), lectins, and saponin varied significantly among the varieties. Carver contained high trypsin (7.8 TUI/mg) and chymotrypsin (8.9 CUI/mg) inhibitory activities, along with high saponin levels (4.13 mg/g). In contrast, Profit contained the lowest phytic acid content (0.99 g/100 g), moderate trypsin inhibition (5.3 TUI/mg), and reduced levels of saponin (3.10 mg/g) and Chymotrypsin (8.19 CUI/mg).
The findings suggest that higher protein content does not invariably confer superior nutritional quality, as digestibility and amino acid bioaccessibility are influenced by cultivar-specific protein composition and antinutritive profiles. Profit appears to be a more favourable balance between protein digestibility and reduced antinutritive load compared with Carver, Spider, and Earlystar. Further investigations employing in-vitro intestinal transport assays are required to confirm bioavailability outcomes and better inform the nutritional evaluation.
N-55
High-throughput Phenotyping Systems for Pulse Crop Biofortification
Tristan Lawrence, Clemson University
mudayan@clemson.edu
Co-authors: Amod Madurapperumage, Adam Niemczura, Pushparajah Thavarajah, Leung Tang, Dil Thavarajah
Pulse crops such as dry pea (Pisum sativum L), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) and lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) are nutrient rich grains that provide high concentrations of protein (~ 20-25 %), low-digestible carbohydrates (~7-10%), and essential micronutrients (up to 1-2%). With the rising global demand for plant-based, gluten-free, and allergen-free protein sources, pulses play a critical role in addressing nutritional quality and security for growing populations worldwide. Besides their importance, breeding for nutritional quality remains a bottleneck in most global breeding programs due to the high cost and limited accessibility to reliable analytical tools. Consequently, the development of low-cost, high-throughput phenotyping (HTP) platforms has become a key research goal to accelerate cultivar development and enable gene discovery for nutritional improvement. Spectroscopic tools, particularly Fourier transform mid-infrared (FT-MIR) spectroscopy, have demonstrated reliability as scalable, rapid, and cost-effective methods for quantifying macro nutritional traits in pulse crops. In parallel, simple imaging technologies such as red, green and blue (RGB) sensors attached to unmanned aerial systems (UASs) have proven importance in assessing agronomic traits (i.e., canopy structure, growth dynamics, and stress responses) with high spatial and temporal resolution. The integration of these spectroscopic and imaging-based pipelines with advanced machine learning approaches enables the simultaneous assessment of nutritional and agronomic traits, thereby improving prediction accuracy and decision-making in breeding programs. This poster highlights current applications of HTP in pulse breeding targeting both nutritional and agronomic traits. The adoption of these technologies will inspire breeders to more efficiently select elite germplasm, accelerate cultivar release, and enhance the nutritional quality and agronomic resilience of pulse crops for sustainable food systems worldwide.
N-56
Selection of Superior Faba Bean Cultivars for the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States
Francis Reith, University of Delaware
francisr@udel.edu
Co-authors: Emmalea Ernest, Rahul Raman, Maria Balota
Faba bean (Vicia faba) is a cool-season annual legume with worldwide cultivation. It may be grown as a fodder, grain, or vegetable crop. The species offers high protein content, 25-33%, substantial nitrogen fixation, 70-130 lb/ac, and can be grown for multiple markets. Several nations, such as Australia and Canada, have recognized the crop’s utility and have established breeding and research programs to support their growing faba industries. In the United States, the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states have insignificant cultivation of this crop. The University of Delaware, Virginia Tech, NC State, and the University of Maryland are working to research the viability of faba in our region. In 2023, a diversity panel (n = 515) representing available cultivars, experimental material, landraces, market collections, and all three subspecies from across the globe was compiled, primarily from the USDA germplasm collection. This panel was grown in Delaware and Virginia and sown in both the fall and spring of 2023-2024 and 2024- 2025. Pest and fertility management practices followed standard production recommendations, including irrigation at the Delaware site. Dry seed yield, seed weight and color, over-winter survival, stand and pod counts were phenotyped in all replications. The panel contains considerable variation for all phenotypes. Yield ranged from 0 – 1.2 tons per acre under winter sowing, to 0 – 1.6 tons per acre under spring sowing. While fall-sown plants needed to survive the winter to produce seed the following spring, cold tolerance had low correlation with yield or seed weight. Few vegetable types were winter hardy, and spring sowings had good succulent yields, at 14,500 lbs/ac. Many lines were poorly adapted to regional biotic and abiotic stressors, yet others show viability. Vegetable lines Windsor, Aquaculce, Vroma, PI 469172, PI 469170, and PI 510594 had agronomic and culinary value. Grain lines W6 17371, PI 557493, and PI 557493 demonstrate high yield and good agronomic qualities. These results highlight both the challenges and possibilities for faba bean production in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. Ongoing multi- year evaluations will allow identification of elite material for cultivar release and regional production recommendations, with the goal of supporting future faba adoption and industry development.
N-57
Evaluation of Chickpea Germplasm for Potential Tolerance to Different Modes of Actions of Herbicides
Bella Amyotte, University of Saskatchewan
bca022@usask.ca
Co-authors: Carmen Breitkreutz, Shaun Sharpe, Bunyamin Tar’an
Chickpeas are an important and affordable source of plant protein, nutrients and minerals for human consumption. However, chickpea production faces challenges from weed pressures throughout the growing season on Saskatchewan farms. Chickpea is a poor competitor with weeds, with yield loss in chickpea ranging from 24% to 88% due to weed pressures if the infestation is not controlled (Khan et al, 2023). Therefore, it is important to find ways to alleviate weed pressures in chickpea through the incorporation of greater and broader herbicide tolerance. This allows farmers to have more options to control weeds at any growth stage of the crop as part of the integrated weed management system.
The aim of this research is to identify tolerance to different modes of action of herbicides in chickpeas to offer better weed control, especially for broadleaf weeds. By breeding for improved tolerance to group 2, group 5 and group 14 modes of action it will allow farmers to use these herbicides for in-crop weed control. Three populations of chickpeas, a mutated, an interspecific and a cultivated population available at the Crop Development Centre (CDC), University of Saskatchewan were used in indoor screenings in controlled growth chambers to evaluate the individual plants for potential herbicide tolerance. At the six to ten node stage, the plants were sprayed in separate screenings with Metribuzin (Sencor ®) Imidazolinone (Odyssey®), Sulfonylurea (Pinnacle®) and Saflufenacil/Trifludimoxazin (Voraxor®). The individual plants were evaluated based on a 0 to 10 scale developed at the University of Saskatchewan at 7, 14 and 21 days post herbicide application. Screenings for group 2 chemistries of Imidazolinone and Sulfonylurea have been completed on the EMS (Ethyl methyl sulfonate) treated population, along with a screening of metribuzin on the cultivated population and varying degrees of tolerance have been determined in each trial. With some plants displaying a rating of one, and with others being up to nine within the group 2 screenings and a low of three in the group 5 screening. Selected plants for tolerance were collected and grown in greenhouse environments for future use as a source for tolerance in breeding and for genetic analyses. Field trials of the selected germplasm will be performed at different locations to validate the tolerance under field conditions.