Association mapping of winter hardiness and yield traits in faba bean (Vicia faba L.)

Improving frost tolerance and winter hardiness with desirable agronomic features are the main objectives in winter faba bean (Vicia faba L.) breeding programs, especially in cool temperate regions of Europe. In this study, 189 single-seed-descent lines of winter faba bean from the Göttingen Winter Bean Population were evaluated in field trials (winter hardiness and yield traits). Seven traits were examined (three winter-hardiness traits and four yield traits) and scored. Of the 189 genotypes, 11 lines were identified as winter hardy and having high seed yield. The highest repeatability (h2) estimates were found for leaf frost susceptibility (0.86) among the winter-hardiness traits and for days to flowering (0.95) among the yield traits. In total, 25 putative quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were identified, for winter survival rate (one QTL), 1000-seed weight (one QTL), field plant height (two QTLs), days to flowering (nine QTLs), and seed yield (12 QTLs), based on the association mapping approach using 156 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Candidate genes were identified for QTLs by using synteny between Vicia faba and Medicago truncatula. The SNP markers identified in this study may be used for accelerating breeding program in faba bean to improve winter hardiness and yield traits.