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Plant–pollinator interactions research can assist in the development of more ecologically friendly crop breeding methods, leading to enhanced global food security. In the present study, we have aimed to assess fifteen floral traits as insect attractancies of six bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia (L.) Willd.) landraces, a neglected crop. Four traits related to seed yield were also measured. Abundance and foraging behavior of potential insect pollinators on bitter vetch flowers were recorded, and their species were identified. Differences among landraces regarding floral and yield traits were statistically significant in most cases. A total number of four insect species were recorded as positively visiting flowers and constituting potential pollinators of bitter vetch. At a landrace level, there was a positive correlation between potential insect pollinators’ foraging activity and the number of open flowers, especially for the landrace ERV65-Kastania, Korinthia (p ≤ 0.01). Floral tube length, as well as standard petal length, was also positively correlated in some cases with potential insect pollinator species abundance and their visitation frequency. A positive correlation was also recorded between seed yield-related traits, which varied among landraces, and potential insect pollinators’ foraging activity. The results showed that bitter vetch flowers can attract and receive positive visits from insects, despite their mainly self-pollination reproductive system. Bitter vetch flower traits, such as the number of open flowers, floral tube length, and standard petal length, could, therefore, be useful as breeding tools, aiming to develop varieties with insect pollinator-friendly traits that could lead to enhanced seed yield production and help to conserve wild insect species biodiversity in the context of sustainable agriculture.

Background Salinity is a major abiotic stress, and the use of saline water in the agricultural sector will incur greater demand under the current and future climate changing scenarios. The objective of this study was to develop a dual-functional nanofertilizer capable of releasing a micronutrient that nourishes plant growth while enhancing salt stress resilience in faba bean ( Vicia faba L.). Results Moringa oleifera leaf extract was used to synthesize sulfur nanoparticles (SNPs), which were applied as a foliar spray at different concentrations (0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/l) to mitigate the negative effects of salt stress (150 mM NaCl) on faba bean plants. The SNPs were characterized and found to be spherical in shape with an average size of 10.98 ± 2.91 nm. The results showed that salt stress had detrimental effects on the growth and photosynthetic performance (Fv/Fm) of faba bean compared with control, while foliar spraying with SNPs improved these parameters under salinity stress. SNPs application also increased the levels of osmolytes (soluble sugars, amino acids, proline, and glycine betaine) and nonenzymatic antioxidants, while reducing the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers (MDA and H 2 O 2 ). Moreover, SNPs treatment under salinity stress stimulated the activity of antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO)) and upregulated the expression of stress-responsive genes: chlorophyll a-b binding protein of LHCII type 1-like (Lhcb1), ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase large chain-like (RbcL), cell wall invertase I (CWINV1), ornithine aminotransferase (OAT), and ethylene-responsive transcription factor 1 (ERF1) , with the greatest upregulation observed at 50 mg/l SNPs. Conclusion Overall, foliar application of sulfur nanofertilizers in agriculture could improve productivity while minimizing the deleterious effects of salt stress on plants. Therefore, this study provides a strong foundation for future research focused on evaluating the replacement of conventional sulfur-containing fertilizers with their nanoforms to reduce the harmful effects of salinity stress and enhance the productivity of faba beans.

Drought is a major limiting constraint to faba bean production worldwide, including Tunisia. However, molecular mechanisms underlying faba bean responses to drought stress are not well understood. In this context, RNA-seq was applied to investigate drought-related genes and construct a network of faba bean ( Vicia faba L.) drought stress response and tolerance. Assembly of the transcriptome generated 26,728 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Of these, 13,920 were up-regulated and 12,808 down-regulated in faba bean drought-stressed leaves. Moreover, a total of 2130 transcription factors involved in major metabolic pathways including abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent and -independent signaling pathway were identified. Gene Ontology (GO), Eukaryotic Orthologous Groups (KOG) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses revealed that these DEGs were involved in several important processes including photosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, response to stimulus and abiotic stress, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers, signal transduction, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and transporters, suggesting the involvement of these important pathways in faba bean response to water deficit. Various stress proteins such as late embryogenesis abundant proteins (LEA), dehydrins (DHNs) and heat shock proteins (HSPs) have been identified and their expression was robustly upregulated in drought-stressed leaves, indicating their key contribution to drought response and adaptation by conferring protection and providing stability to faba bean plant cellular processes under water deficit. The reliability of the RNA-seq results was confirmed by the analysis of 10 randomly selected genes using qRT-PCR. Taken together, these findings help advancing our knowledge and can guide breeding programs aimed at improving the tolerance of faba bean to drought stress.

The temperate and herbaceous genus Vicia L. is a member of the legume tribe Fabeae of the subfamily Papilionoideae. The genus Vicia comprises 166 annual or perennial species distributed mainly in Europe, Asia, and North America, but also extending to the temperate regions of South America and tropical Africa. The use of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for Vicia species has not been investigated as extensively as for other crop species. In this study, we assessed the potential for cross-species amplification of cDNA microsatellite markers developed from common vetch (Vicia sativa subsp. sativa). For cross-species amplification of the SSRs, amplification was carried out with genomic DNA isolated from two to eight accessions of 22 different Vicia species. For individual species or subspecies, the transferability rates ranged from 33% for V. ervilia to 82% for V. sativa subsp. nigra with an average rate of 52.0%. Because the rate of successful SSR marker amplification generally correlates with genetic distance, these SSR markers are potentially useful for analyzing genetic relationships between or within Vicia species.

Background Faba bean is an important legume crop in the world. Plant height and yield are important traits for crop improvement. The traditional plant height and yield measurement are labor intensive and time consuming. Therefore, it is essential to estimate these two parameters rapidly and efficiently. The purpose of this study was to provide an alternative way to accurately identify and evaluate faba bean germplasm and breeding materials. Results The results showed that 80% of the maximum plant height extracted from two-dimensional red–green–blue (2D-RGB) images had the best fitting degree with the ground measured values, with the coefficient of determination (R 2 ), root-mean-square error (RMSE), and normalized root-mean-square error (NRMSE) were 0.9915, 1.4411 cm and 5.02%, respectively. In terms of yield estimation, support vector machines (SVM) showed the best performance (R 2  = 0.7238, RMSE = 823.54 kg ha −1 , NRMSE = 18.38%), followed by random forests (RF) and decision trees (DT). Conclusion The results of this study indicated that it is feasible to monitor the plant height of faba bean during the whole growth period based on UAV imagery. Furthermore, the machine learning algorithms can estimate the yield of faba bean reasonably with the multiple time points data of plant height.

Background Faba bean ( Vicia faba L.) is a crucial cool-season legume crop, which is highly valued for its high protein content and key role in crop rotation systems. Considering the increasing threat of soil salinity and alkalinity globally, it is critical to screen germplasm resources with saline-alkali tolerance in faba bean and to identify the underlying genes. Results In this study, 12 morphological and physiological traits under compound saline-alkali stress conditions were measured to evaluate saline-alkali tolerance of 240 accessions based on principal component analysis. The results showed that biomass-related traits such as fresh weight of shoot and leaf number had relatively high weights in the evaluation of saline-alkali tolerance at the seedling stage, and 38 highly saline-alkali tolerant accessions were identified. A total of 242 SNPs affecting seedling saline-alkali tolerance were identified in a genome-wide association study of 240 faba bean accessions, with 57 SNPs significantly associated with 7 traits and identified by GLM and MLM models. It was found that 10 genes (such as L-GalLDH , ZAT4 , NAC82 ) overlapped with the reported genes related to saline-alkali tolerance or stress resistance by functional annotation of candidate genes, and their elevated expression in tolerant accessions was validated by RT-qPCR. RT-qPCR indicated tissue-specific differential expression between tolerant and sensitive accessions, with most genes showing higher expression in the tolerant line. Conclusions These findings enhance our understanding of the genetic mechanisms governing salt-alkali tolerance in faba bean seedlings and supplies valuable high-tolerance accessions alongside candidate gene resources for breeding programs, thereby laying a solid foundation for subsequent functional validation of these genes.

This study explores the potential of biosynthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 NPs), capped with phytochemicals from Zygophyllum simplex extract, in enhancing seed germination and related indices of faba bean ( Vicia faba L.), aiming to support sustainable and biocompatible approaches in nano-agriculture. Specifically, the study assessed the impact of biogenic TiO 2 NPs (average size ≈ 12.8 nm) on seed germination, early plant growth parameters such as root and shoot length, and germination percentage, as well as the activity of selected antioxidant and hydrolytic enzymes in faba bean. Seeds were soaked for 6 h in an aerated solution containing six concentrations of TiO 2 NPs (1, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 µM), alongside a control group. Germination was conducted in dark at 25 ± 0.5 °C for six days. The results demonstrated that TiO 2 NPs at concentrations up to 25 µM significantly enhanced germination percentage, seedling growth parameters, and increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes; catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), as well as α-amylase and protease enzymes, total soluble sugar and protein content, in comparison with non-treated seeds. However, TiO 2 NPs at a concentration of 50, and 100 µM significantly reduced germination rates, inhibited seedling growth, and decreased enzyme activities relative to the control. These findings suggest that nano-titanium, particularly at a concentration of 10 µM, effectively enhances germination potential, subsequent seedling growth, and enzyme activity in Faba beans. Further research on the impact of these nanoparticles on vegetative growth and yield could provide valuable insights based on the positive effects observed during germination and early seedling development.

Faba bean ( Vicia faba L.) is a valuable legume crop and data on its seed-related traits is required for yield and quality improvements. However, basic research on faba bean is lagging compared to that of other major crops. In this study, an F 2 faba bean population, including 121 plants derived from the cross WY7×TCX7, was genotyped using the Faba_bean_130 K targeted next-generation sequencing genotyping platform. The data were used to construct the first ultra-dense faba bean genetic map consisting of 12,023 single nucleotide polymorphisms markers covering 1,182.65 cM with an average distance of 0.098 cM. The map consisted of 6 linkage groups, which is consistent with the 6 faba bean chromosome pairs. A total of 65 quantitative trait loci (QTL) for seed-related traits were identified (3 for 100-seed weight, 28 for seed shape, 12 for seed coat color, and 22 for nutritional quality). Furthermore, 333 candidate genes that are likely to participate in the regulation of seed-related traits were also identified. Our research findings can provide a basis for future faba bean marker-assisted breeding and be helpful to further modify and improve the reference genome.

ABSTRACTA field experiment was conducted at the research station of the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, during the fall season of 2023–2024. The study aimed to investigate the effect of adding an organic nutrient and spraying a fruit-set regulator on the concentration of nutrient elements and vegetative growth traits of the broad bean. The experiment included two factors: the first was the type of fertilization (chemical fertilization recommendation for broad bean and different levels of the organic nutrient Karmino bloom with the addition of 25% NPK). The second factor was the application of the pod-set regulator (Oraset-x) at three concentrations (0, 0.3, 0.6 g L⁻¹). The results showed that using chemical fertilization significantly increased the concentrations of major elements (N, P, K), chlorophyll concentration, and vegetative growth traits. Additionally, applying the organic nutrient Karmino bloom at a rate of 5 L ha⁻¹ with 25% NPK resulted in significant increases in the concentrations of Zn and B. The interaction between this treatment and spraying Oraset-x at a concentration of 0.6 g L⁻¹ led to superior results in the concentrations of Zn, B, and major elements (N, P, K), as well as improved vegetative growth traits. These findings highlight the effectiveness of this combination in enhancing the nutritional content of leaves and vegetative growth traits in broad bean plants. أجريت تجربة في محطة البحوث التابعة لكلية علوم الهندسة الزراعية، جامعة بغداد اثناء الموسم الخريفي 2023-2024 لدراسة تأثير إضافة المغذي العضوي ورش منظم عقد القرنات على تركيز العناصر المغذية في الاوراق وصفات النمو الخضري الباقلاء. تضمنت التجربة عاملين: الأول هو نوع التسميد (التوصية السمادية الكيميائية للباقلاء، ومستويات مختلفة من المغذي العضوي Karmino bloom مع إضافة 25% من   NPK، والثاني هو رش منظم عقد الثمار (ORASET-X) بثلاث تراكيز (0، 0.3، 0.6 غم لتر-1. أظهرت النتائج أن استخدام التوصية السمادية الكيميائية زاد من تركيز العناصر الكبرى N)، P،  (Kوالكلوروفيل وصفات النمو الخضري. كما حقق المغذي العضوي Karmino bloom  بمستوى 5 لتر هكتار-1 مع 25% NPK زيادات معنوية في تركيز Zn وB. أظهر التداخل بين هذه المعاملة مع رش Oraset-x بتركيز 0.6 غم لتر-1 تفوقًا في تركيز Zn وB  وكذلك العناصر الكبرى NوPوKوتحسين صفات النمو. تشير النتائج إلى فعالية هذه التوليفة في تحسين المحتوى الغذائي للأوراق وصفات النمو الخضري للباقلاء.

The ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of the 18S-28S nrDNA was sequenced in 49 Vicia species and subspecies selected from nine sections of the two subgenera to resolve taxonomic contradictions. Phylogenies derived from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences strongly support the view that both Vicia faba and Vicia bithynica are distant from the Narbonensis species complex (NSC) in section Faba. V. faba is more closely aligned with sections Peregrinae and Hypechusa, whereas V. bithynica is more closely aligned with section Vicia. Six synapomorphic substitutions unique to the NSC support a separate section for the Narbonensis complex. Vicia johannis subsp. johannis was the most diverged species within the NSC with high genetic distance between V. johannis subsp. johannis and remaining species and subspecies of the NSC. These results suggest that Vicia johannis subsp. johannis should be given species rank. The neighbor-joining and parsimony based trees supported the sections Vicia (after the exclusion of Vicia lathyroides) and Cracca (after the exclusion of Vicia vicioides and Vicia hirsuta). The section Hypechusa is polyphyletic and paraphyletic based on the present ITS sequence cladistic analysis. The x = 7 as the ancestral number for the genus is supported by the present study.