Abstract
Frost stress is one of the most significant abiotic stresses affecting crops in Europe and limits e.g. winter faba bean growth. Faba bean is therefore mainly sown as a spring crop in cool-temperate regions. The objective of this study is to study the genetic variation in frost tolerance between elite winter faba beans. To address this challenge, 200 highly homozygous lines were tested in a frost growth chamber. Two different experiments, with frost stress and with hardening conditions were conducted. A number of morphological traits of shoots (loss of leaf turgidity, loss of leaf color, regrowth after frost and disposition to survive) and of roots (root frost susceptibility and root length) were visually scored in the frost experiments. Moreover, total leaf fatty acid (after hardening) and water content (after hardening and after frost stress) in shoots as physiological parameters were analyzed. The frost tolerance index was calculated to improve two traits: disposition to survive and regrowth after frost. High significant genetic variation was found between genotypes in all traits scored and analyzed. Disposition to survive showed high significant phenotypic (r = 0.77**) and genotypic (r = 0.85) correlations with regrowth after frost test. Moreover, roots traits showed higher significant phenotypic and genotypic correlations with frost tolerance than traits scored on shoots (loss of leaf turgidity and loss of leaf color). For physiological traits, water content before and after frost showed stronger significant correlation with frost tolerance than leaf fatty acid composition. Repeatability estimates (h2) ranged from 0.58 to 0.95 for morphological traits and from 0.63 to 0.89 for physiological traits. The best 20 genotypes for each morphological trait were determined. As a result, 12 genotypes were identified with superior frost tolerance. The results indicate the possibility of genetically improving the frost tolerance in winter faba bean through selection programs.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arbaoui M (2007) Detailed genetic analysis of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) winter-hardiness and related traits. PhD thesis, University of Göttingen. Germany
Arbaoui M, Link W (2008) Effect of hardening on frost tolerance and fatty acid composition of leaves and stems of a set of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) genotypes. Euphytica 162:211–219
Arbaoui M, Balko C, Link W (2008a) Study of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) winter-hardiness and development of screening methods. Field Crops Res 106:60–67
Arbaoui M, Balko C, Link W (2008b) Quantitative trait loci of frost tolerance and physiologically related trait in faba bean (Vicia faba L.). Euphytica 164:93–104
Badaruddin M, Meyer DW (2001) Factors modifying frost tolerance of legume species. Crop Sci 41:1911–1916
Baker RJ (1986) Selection indices in plant breeding. CRC Press, Boca Raton
Calmé SH, Margolis A, Bigras FJ (1993) Influence of cultural practices on the relationship between frost tolerance and water content of containerized black spruce, white spruce, and jack pine seedlings. Can J For Res 23:505–511
Chandrasekar V, Sairam RK, Srivastav GC (2000) Physiological and biochemical responses of hexaploid and tetraploid wheat to drought stress. J Agron Crop Sci 185:219–227
Cyril J, Powell GL, Duncan RR, Baird WV (2002) Changes in membrane polar lipid fatty acids of Seashore Paspalum in response to low temperature exposure. Crop Sci 42:2031–2037
Davis DL, Gilbert WB (1970) Winter hardiness and changes in soluble protein fractions of bermudagrass. Crop Sci 10:7–9
Dörffling K, Dorffling H, Lesselich G, Luck E, Zimmermann C, Melz G, Jürgens HU (1997) Heritable improvement of frost tolerance in winter wheat by in vitro-selection of hydroxyproline-resistant proline overproducing mutants. Euphytica 93:1–10
Duc G, Petitjean F (1995) Study of inheritance of freezing tolerance in Vicia faba L. 2nd European conference on Grain Legumes, Copenhagen. Denmark, 11–15 July 1995
Falcone DL, Ogas JP, Somerville CR (2004) Regulation of membrane fatty acid composition by temperature in mutants of arabidopsis with alterations in membrane lipid composition. BMC Plant Biol 4:17
Falconer DS, Mackay TFC (1996) Introduction to quantitative genetics, 4th edn. Prentice Hall, London
Flores F, Nadal S, Solis I, Winkler J, Sass O, Stoddard FL, Link W, Raffiot B, Muel F, Rubiales D (2012) Faba bean adaptation to autumn sowing under European climates. Agron Sustain Dev 32:727–734
Fowler DB, Gusta LV, Tyler NJ (1981) Selection for winter hardiness in wheat. III. Screening methods. Crop Sci 21:896–901
Gasim S (2003) Winter-hardy Faba Bean: applied genetic research on the reproductive mode of the European gene pool. Ph.D. thesis, University of Göttingen
Gebre-Mariam H, Larter EN (1996) Genetic response to index selection for grain yield, kernel weight and per cent protein in four wheat crosses. Plant Breed 115:459–464
Herzog H (1987a) Freezing resistance and development of faba beans as affected by ambient temperatures, soil moisture and variety. J Agron Crop Sci 159:90–100
Herzog H (1987b) A quantitative method to assess freezing resistance in faba beans. J Agron Crop Sci 158:195–204
Herzog H (1989) Influence of pre-hardening duration and dehardening temperatures on varietal freezing resistance in faba beans (Vicia faba L.). Agronomie (Paris) 9:55–61
Herzog H, Olszewski A (1998) A rapid method for measuring freezing resistance in crop plants. J Agron Crop Sci 181(2):71–79
Hund A, Fracheboud Y, Soldati A, Frascaroli E (2004) QTL controlling root and shoot characters of maize seedlings under cold stress. Theor Appl Genet 109:618–629
Inci NE, Toker C (2011) Screening and selection of faba beans (Vicia faba L.) for cold tolerance and comparison to wild relatives. Genet Res Crop Evol 58(8):1169–1175
Iqbal M, Navabi A, Salmon DF, Yang RC, Spaner D (2007) Simultaneous selection for early maturity, increased grain yield and elevated grain protein content in spring wheat. Plant Breed 126:244–250
Kramer PJ, Boyer JS (1995) Water relations of plants and soils. Academic Press, pp 26–56
Levitt J (1980) Responses of plants to environmental stresses, vol 1. Academic Press, New York, pp 166–222
Link W, Balko C, Stoddard FL (2010) Winter hardiness in faba bean: physiology and breeding. Field crops research 115:287–296
Los DF, Murata N (1998) Struct expr fat acid desaturases. Biochim Biophys Acta 1394:3–15
Maqbool A, Shafiq S, Lake L (2010) Radiant frost tolerance in pulse crops-a review. Euphytica 172:1–12
McKenzie JS, Paquin R, Duke SH (1988) Cold and heat tolerance. In: Hanson AA, Barnes DK (eds) Alfalfa and Alfalfa Improvement. Agronomy Monograph No. 29. ASA, Madison, pp 259–302
Palta JP, Whitaker BD, Weiss LS (1993) Plasma membrane lipids associated with genetic variability in freezing tolerance and cold acclimation of Solanum species. Plant Physiol 103:793–803
Pellet NE, White DB (1969) Relationship of seasonal tissue changes to cold acclimation of juniperus chinensis “Hetzi”. J Am Soc Hortic Sci 94:460–462
Perras M, Sarhan F (1989) Synthesis of freezing tolerance proteins in leaves, crown and roots during cold acclimation of wheat. Plant Physiol 89:577–585
Petcu E, Terbea M (1995) Proline content and the conductivity test as screening methods for frost tolerance of winter wheat. Bulg J Plant Physiol 21:3–11
Pollock CJ (1986) Fructans and the metabolism of sucrose in vascular plants. New Phytol 104:1–24
Rosvall-Åhnebrink G (1985) Invintring av plantor för höstplanteringeller vinterlagring. In skogsskötsel I södra sverige. skogsfakta. konferens 7. sveriges lantbruksuniversitet. Uppsala pp 33-37
Roth F, Link W (2010) Selection on freezing-tolerance of faba bean (Vicia faba L.): improvement of methods and results. In 60. jahrestagung der vereinigung der pflanzenzüchter und saatgutkaufleute österreichs, 24–26 November 2009, Raumberg-Gumpenstein. Vereinigung der Pflanzenzüchter und Saatgutkaufleute Österreichs, pp 31–37
Samala S, Yan J, Baird WV (1998) Changes in polar lipid fatty acid composition during cold acclimation in ‘‘Midiron’’ and ‘‘U3′’ bermudagrass. Crop Sci 38:188–195
Santoiani CS, Tognetti JA, Pontis HG, Salerno GL (1993) Sucrose and fructan metabolism in wheat roots at chilling temperature. Physiol Plant 87:84–88
Sãulescu NN, Brown HJ (2001) Cold tolerance. Application of physiology in wheat breeding. CIMMYT, Mexico, pp 111–123
Shanklin J, Cahoon E (1998) Desaturation and related modifications of fatty acids. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol Biol 49:611–641
Sillero JC, Villegas-Fernádez AM, Thomas J, Rojas-Molina MM, Emeran AA, Fernández-Aparicio M, Rubiales D (2010) Faba bean breeding for disease resistance. Field Crops Res 115:297–307
Stoddard FL, Balko C, Erskine W, Khan HR, Link W, Sarker A (2006) Screening techniques and sources of resistance to abiotic stresses in cool season food legumes. Euphytica 147:167–186
Taiz L, Zeiger E (2010) Plant Physiology, 5th edn. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, pp 1–27
Thies W (1971) Schnelle und einfache Analysen der Fettsäure zusammen-setzung in einzelnen Raps-Kotyledonen. I. gaschromatographischeund papier chromatographische methode. Z Pflanzenzu ¨chtung 65:181–202
Thomashow MF (1999) Plant cold acclimation: freezing tolerance genes and regulatory mechanisms. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 50:571–599
Utz HF (1997) A computer program for statistical analysis of plant breeding experiments. Version 2 N. Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim
Voican V, Scurtu I, Voican AV, Racaru V (1995) Features of seed germination and growth of young pea plants in conditions of moisture and thermal stress. II. Eff frost plants. Inst Cercetari pentru Legumicult Floricult Vidra 13:387–396 English summary
Wei H, Dhanaraj AL, Arora R, Rowland LJ, Fu Y, Sun L (2005) Identification of cold acclimation-responsive Rhododendron genes for lipid metabolism, membrane transport and lignin biosynthesis: importance of moderately abundant ESTs in genomic studies. Plant, Cell Environ 29:558–570
Wells WC, Kofoid KD (1985) Selection indices to improve an intermitting population of spring wheat. Crop Sci 26:1104–1109.
Williams AF, Tse AGD, Gagnon J (1988) Squid glycoproteins with structural similarities to Thy-1 and Ly-6 antigens. Immunogenetics 27:265–272
Yoshida M, Abe J, Moriyama M, Shimokawa S, Nakamura Y (1997) Seasonal changes in the physical state of crown water associated with freezing tolerance in winter wheat. Physiol Plant 99:363–370
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank apl. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Link, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, for his valuable discussion on this work. This work was supported and funded by Cultural Affairs & Mission Sector in Egypt and German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sallam, A., Martsch, R. & Moursi, Y.S. Genetic variation in morpho-physiological traits associated with frost tolerance in faba bean (Vicia faba L.). Euphytica 205, 395–408 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-015-1395-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-015-1395-2