Breeding for culinary and nutritional quality of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in intercropping systems with maize (Zea mays L.)

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is widely intercropped with maize (Zea mays L.) in the North of Spain. Breeding beans for multiple cropping systems is important for the development of a productive and sustainable agriculture, and is mainly oriented to minimize intercrop competition and to stabilize complementarity with maize. Most agricultural research on intercropping to date has focused on the agronomic and overall yield effects of the different species, but characters related with socio-economic and food quality aspects are also important. The effect of intercropping beans with maize on food seed quality traits was studied for thirty-five bush bean varieties under different environments in Galicia (Northwestern Spain). Parameters determining Asturian (Northern Spain) white bean commercial and culinary quality have also been evaluated in fifteen accessions. There are significant differences between varieties in the selected cropping systems (sole crop, intercrop with field maize and intercrop with sweet maize) for dry and soaked seed weight, coat proportion, crude protein, crude fat and moisture. Different white bean accessions have been chosen according to their culinary quality. Under these environmental conditions it appears that intercropping systems with sweet maize give higher returns than sole cropping system. It is also suggested that the culinary and nutritional quality potential of some white bean accessions could be the base material in a breeding programme the objectives of which are to develop varieties giving seeds with high food quality

Variation among common-bean accessions (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) from the Iberian Peninsula for N 2-dependent growth and phosphorus requirement Symbiosis (Rehovot)

Publication Inra prise en compte dans l'analyse bibliométrique des publications scientifiques mondiales sur les Fruits, les Légumes et la Pomme de terre. Période 2000-2012. http://prodinra.inra.fr/record/256699International audienceThe common-bean often faces phosphorus deficiency in soils where it is grown. Such a deficiency is a major limitation to yield improvement, especially as the common-bean depends upon nitrogen fixation. Screening for symbiotic nitrogen fixation under phosphorus deficiency was performed with 33 common-bean accessions representing the diversity of 15 European market classes from the Iberian Peninsula. These accessions were inoculated with Rhizobium tropici CIAT899 and grown in an aerated nitrogen-free nutrient solution at deficient versus sufficient phosphorous supplies (75 vs. 250 µmol plant-1 week-1) in a glasshouse. A large variability in N2-dependent growth under P deficiency was found with most tolerance to P deficiency among late type IV Andean landraces, with the exception of 3 early type I Andean landraces. From this screening four contrasting landraces were selected for their high efficiency in the use of P for their symbiotic N nutrition, and compared with the cultivar Linex in fields of a reference production area over 3 years. The landraces from the Iberian Peninsula expressed a higher growth than the cultivar Linex, although they showed a lower nodulation. We hypothesize that the identified P tolerance among Iberian Peninsula accessions may be useful for improving symbiotic nitrogen fixation in the common-bean when growth is limited by available soil-P and could contribute, to sustainable farming systems by reducing farmers' dependence on fertilizers