Breeding cool season food legumes for improved performance in stress environments

Abstract

Lack of water and unfavourable temperatures are the most widespread stresses which limit yields of the cool season food legumes. Other important stresses tend to be more regional and include salinity, waterlogging, mineral toxicity and deficiency, and unsuitable soil pH. In developing cultivars more resistant to these stresses, phenology must first be modified so that pre-anthesis growth and flowering avoid as far as possible the most severe stress periods. Then, suitable empirical and analytical breeding procedures can be used to further improve yields. General principles and possible procedures for breeding more productive cool season food legumes in stress environments are given.