Faba bean is an important legume crop because of its high‐yield potential and nutrition‐dense grains. There have been significant achievements in faba bean improvement in the last four decades, which led to the doubling of the global yield average. This study reviews the genetic diversity, the breeding methodologies, major achievement on biotic and abiotic traits, and the recent molecular approaches. The high genetic diversity among faba bean accessions has been useful for increasing yield potential of the crop. Substantial increase in yield potential can be gained through the development of cultivars in open pollinated conditions. In the past, many faba bean varieties that are tolerant to abiotic and biotic stresses were released worldwide. The average yield gains varied from 1.65% per year in Syria to 4.17% per year in Ethiopia. The recent advances in molecular technologies will be used to develop more coherent genetic maps, which would also facilitate assembling and ordering genomic scaffolds in a future genome‐sequencing effort and molecular‐breeding approach.

High temperature and water deficit are among the major limitations reducing lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) yield in many growing regions. In addition, increasing atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD) due to global warming causes a severe challenge by influencing the water balance of the plants, thus also affecting growth and yield. In the present study, we evaluated 20 lentil genotypes under field conditions and controlled environments with the following objectives: (i) to investigate the impact of temperature stress and combined temperature-drought stress on traits related to phenology, grain yield, nutritional quality, and canopy temperature under field conditions, and (ii) to examine the genotypic variability for limited transpiration (TR_lim) trait in response to increased VPD under controlled conditions. The field experiment results revealed that high-temperature stress significantly affected all parameters compared to normal conditions. The protein content ranged from 23.4 to 31.9%, while the range of grain zinc and iron content varied from 33.1 to 64.4 and 62.3 to 99.3 mg kg⁻¹, respectively, under normal conditions. The grain protein content, zinc and iron decreased significantly by 15, 14 and 15% under high-temperature stress, respectively. However, the impact was more severe under combined temperature-drought stress with a reduction of 53% in protein content, 18% in zinc and 20% in iron. Grain yield declined significantly by 43% in temperature stress and by 49% in the combined temperature-drought stress. The results from the controlled conditions showed a wide variation in TR among studied lentil genotypes. Nine genotypes displayed TR_lim at 2.76 to 3.51 kPa, with the genotypes ILL 7833 and ILL 7835 exhibiting the lowest breakpoint. Genotypes with low breakpoints had the ability to conserve water, allowing it to be used at later stages for increased yield. Our results identified promising genotypes including ILL 7835, ILL 7814 and ILL 4605 (Bakria) that could be of great interest in breeding for high yields, protein and micronutrient contents under high-temperature and drought stress. In addition, it was found that the TR_lim trait has the potential to select for increased lentil yields under field water-deficit environments.

Heat waves are expected to become more frequent and intense, which will impact faba bean cultivation globally. Conventional breeding methods are effective but take considerable time to achieve breeding goals, and, therefore, the identification of molecular markers associated with key genes controlling heat tolerance can facilitate and accelerate efficient variety development. We phenotyped 134 accessions in six open field experiments during summer seasons at Terbol, Lebanon, at Hudeiba, Sudan, and at Central Ferry, WA, USA from 2015 to 2018. These accessions were genotyped using genotyping by sequencing (GBS), and 10,794 high quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were discovered. These accessions were clustered in one diverse large group, although several discrete groups may exist surrounding it. Fifteen lines belonging to different botanical groups were identified as tolerant to heat. SNPs associated with heat tolerance using single-trait (ST) and multi-trait (MT) genome-wide association studies (GWASs) showed 9 and 11 significant associations, respectively. Through the annotation of the discovered significant SNPs, we found that SNPs from transcription factor helix–loop–helix bHLH143-like S-adenosylmethionine carrier, putative pentatricopeptide repeat-containing protein At5g08310, protein NLP8-like, and photosystem II reaction center PSB28 proteins are associated with heat tolerance.

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) is one of the most important cool season food legume crops grown in many countries. Seeds are typically rich in protein, fiber, prebiotic carbohydrates and minerals, such as iron and zinc. With changing climate and variability, the lentil crop faces frequent droughts and heat stress of varying intensity in its major production zones. In the present study, a set of 162 lentil accessions selected through the Focused Identification of Germplasm Strategy (FIGS) were screened for tolerance to heat stress and combined heat-drought stresses under field conditions at two contrasting locations, namely Marchouch and Tessaout in Morocco. The results showed a significant genotypic variation for heat tolerance and combined heat-drought tolerance among the accessions at both locations. Based on the heat tolerance index (HTI), accessions, namely ILL 7833, ILL 6338 and ILL 6104, were selected as potential sources of heat tolerance at Marchouch, and ILL 7814 and ILL 8029 at Tessaout. Using the stress tolerance index (STI), ILL 7835, ILL 6075 and ILL 6362 were identified as the most tolerant lines (STI > 1) at Marchouch, and ILL 7814, ILL 7835 and ILL 7804 (STI > 1) at Tessaout, under the combined heat-drought stress conditions. Accession ILL 7835 was identified as a good source of stable tolerance to heat stress and combined heat-drought stress at both locations.

The adaptability and stability of 37 faba bean (Vicia faba L.) accessions with different levels of tolerance to metribuzin or imazethapyr was assessed across 12 season–location–herbicide experiments. Significant Genotype x environment (GE) interaction was found for the days to flowering (DFLR), plant height (PLHT) and grain yield (GY). Performance and stability of the accessions regarding PLHT and GY were assessed using four different stability parameters: cultivar superiority, static stability, Wricke’s eco-valence and Finlay and Wilkinson’s regression model. The stability parameters ranked these genotypes differently suggesting that PLHT and GY stability should be assessed not only on a single or a few stability parameters but on a combination of them. GGE biplot analysis indicated that the environments representing metribuzin treatment at Marchouch 2014–2015 and the non-treated treatment at Terbol 2018–2019 are the ideal environments for evaluating faba bean genotypes. GGE biplots showed herbicide tolerant accession IG12983 with simultaneous average PLHT, GY and stability across the environments. The performance of other tolerant accessions, namely IG13945, IG13906, IG106453, FB2648, and FB1216 was less stable but superior under specific mega environments. Therefore, utilizing these accessions in faba bean breeding programs would help broaden the adaptability to diverse locations–season–herbicide treatments.

Drought is a major limiting factor in faba bean (Vicia faba L.) production in the Mediterranean region, which is known for its irregular water distribution and moderate moisture levels (~500 mm rainfall). In this study, faba bean genotypes were evaluated for spectral indices, yield traits, rhizobium nodulation and yield stability under diverse environments, and their relationships. Eleven faba bean genotypes were evaluated under two water regimes, rainfed and supplemental irrigation (SI), in 2008–09; and under three water regimes (rainfed, 50% and 100% soil water capacity irrigation) for three consecutive growing seasons (2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12), at Tel Hadya in Syria. They were also evaluated at Terbol in Lebanon for one season (2011–12) in a split-plot experiment with three irrigation treatments and at Kfardan in Lebanon for two seasons, 2008–09 (rainfed) and 2010–11 (rainfed and SI). The genotypes included three cultivars and eight drought-tolerant breeding lines selected at <300 mm annual rainfall. Phenological and morphological traits were recorded, as well as nodule weight per plant, grain yield, biological yield and spectral reflectance indices. Data were statistically analysed for each year. There were significant genotypic differences for seed yield under SI and rainfed conditions in 2008–09, and full irrigation in 2009–10 and 2011–12. Days to flowering and maturity were significantly different among genotypes for rainfed and irrigated conditions. There were significant differences between water regimes and genotypes, but their interactions were not significant. FLIP06-010FB was the highest yielding and most stable among the tested genotypes across different environments. Days to flowering and days to maturity were positively correlated with grain yield. The spectral indices structure-insensitive pigment index and normalised pheophytinisation index were found to correlate positively with grain yield and could therefore be used for selection under drought-prone environments.