Joint project

Funder: Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture

Period: 2023-2026

Detailed description: 
FABA aims at the generation and use of genome resources to accelerate breeding progress in traits with highly relevance but complex inheritance. Starting from existing elite breeding populations or their initial parents and using a new reference genome as well as pangenome resources, the project aims to determine sequence-based genome-wide haplotype effects for important target traits. This basis will form the nucleus for genome-based selection of important traits and, in future, improve breeding management of faba bean beyond the traits addressed here (drought/heat stress tolerance, pest resistance and vicin/convicin content). For example, the comprehensive genome data sets and trait inheritance insights generated in FABA will increase selection accuracy, achieve more targeted recombination of essential traits, and simultaneously accelerate the rate of genetic improvement. This should pave the way for an efficient and sustainable breeding methodology for future field bean breeding, increase breeding progress for crucial performance and adaptation traits under changing environmental conditions, and raise the attractiveness of field bean cultivation from a breeding perspective. The concrete aim of the project is to use the genome resources created within the project for the creation of a genome-wide haploblock effect catalog of exemplary four different trait complexes. In addition to yield per se, systematic crosses are pklanned to improve sensitivity to extreme temperatures (especially during flowering), drought stress tolerance, vicin/convicin content, and pest resistance (Bruchus rufimanus). Furthermore, a first basis for genomic selection in faba bean breeding will be established.