Salinity tolerance was studied in chickpea accessions from a germplasm collection and in cultivars from Kazakhstan. After NaCl treatment, significant differences were found between genotypes, which could be arranged into three groups. Those that performed poorest were found in group 1, comprising five ICC accessions with the lowest chlorophyll content, the highest leaf necrosis (LN), Na⁺ accumulation, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and a low glutathione ratio GSH/GSSG. Two cultivars, Privo-1 and Tassay, representing group 2, were moderate in these traits, while the best performance was for group 3, containing two other cultivars, Krasnokutsky-123 and Looch, which were found to have mostly green plants and an exact opposite pattern of traits. Marker–trait association (MTA) between 6K DArT markers and four traits (LN, Na⁺, MDA, and GSH/GSSG) revealed the presence of four possible candidate genes in the chickpea genome that may be associated with the three groups. One gene, ATP-binding cassette, CaABCC6, was selected, and three haplotypes, A, D1, and D2, were identified in plants from the three groups. Two of the most salt-tolerant cultivars from group 3 were found to have haplotype D2 with a novel identified SNP. RT-qPCR analysis confirmed that this gene was strongly expressed after NaCl treatment in the parental- and breeding-line plants of haplotype D2. Mass spectrometry of seed proteins showed a higher accumulation of glutathione reductase and S-transferase, but not peroxidase, in the D2 haplotype. In conclusion, the CaABCC6 gene was hypothesized to be associated with a better response to oxidative stress via glutathione metabolism, while other candidate genes are likely involved in the control of chlorophyll content and Na⁺ accumulation.

Stem internode length determines height to first pod (HFP), an important trait for mechanical harvesting in legume crops. In the present study, this trait in lentil was (Lens culinaris Medik.) examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of epidermal cells in stem internodes of two parents, Flip92-36L and ILL-1552, with long and short HFP, respectively. No significant differences in cell length, but differences in cell width were seen. This indicates that HFP was determined by cell number rather than cell length. The candidate gene family for HFP, Suppressor of Overexpression of Constans 1 (SOC1), a member of the MADS-box transcription factor family, controls both flowering time (FT) and HFP traits. Six LcSOC1 genes were identified in this study, and their expression was analysed. Most of the genes studied showed constitutive expression during vegetative growth, flowering, and seed development stages. Expression of LcSOC1-a seems to be involved in the transition to flowering and FT, whereas expression of LcSOC1-b2 was strongly associated with HFP but not FT. Two haplotypes with two SNP each were identified in LcSOC1-b2 among eight sequenced lentil accessions, and an SNP-based ASQ marker was developed and used for genotyping of a lentil germplasm collection. Significant association between LcSOC1-b2 haplotypes and HFP was found in this study, indicating a primary role for this gene in internode length, potentially by regulating cell number.

Lodging of pea plants has long been one of the greatest problems encountered at harvest, but it can be avoided with reduced plant height (PH) and increased number of tendrils. Two genes, Le (stem length), Psat5g299720, for PH, and Af (Afila), Psat2g173360, for semi-leafless types with multiple tendrils, were studied in the 6 most popular pea cultivars in Kazakhstan and in 60 pea accessions from a germplasm collection. ASQ molecular markers were developed based on an identified SNP in the Le gene. Two groups of 41 tall and 25 short (semi-dwarf) pea plants with average PHs of 83.6 and 56.3 cm, respectively, showed dominant and recessive Le alleles. Nine haplotypes of Af gene were found in the same set of pea genotypes and the PsPALM1b (Psat2g173360) gene was present in 48 pea plants with regular-type leaves, but it was absent (deleted) in 18 afila-type peas. Seed yields were assessed in the six major pea cultivars in field trials in the Akmola and Karaganda regions of Northern and Central Kazakhstan, respectively, during 2024 and 2025. The short and semi-leafless pea genotypes showed better results in favourable and wet conditions in the Akmola region, whereas tall pea genotypes with regular leaf types were more productive in drought conditions, realising their potential in the Karaganda region. The results for 60 pea accessions in the same regions in 2025 followed a similar trend. Finally, we concluded that drought can influence the significance of the lodging problem in pea genotypes in Kazakhstan, where an earlier start and faster growth of taller plants with regular leaves can become much more important traits for better drought tolerance and seed production.

В статье изложены данные анализа изучения наиболее важных параметров пригодности к механизированной уборке у коллекционных образцов чечевицы, привезённых из различных ландшафтно-географических регионов. Выявлено, что в условиях 2024 года в Карагандинской СХОС высота растений крупно- и мелкосемянной чечевицы формировалась одинаковая (28,9 и 29,5 соответственно), но не превышала стандарта у большинства сортообразцов. Высота прикрепления нижнего боба различалась у подвидов чечевицы на 2 см (выше у крупносеменной чечевицы). В результате корреляционного анализа взаимосвязи биометрических показателей и урожайности, а также биометрических показателей между собой (высоты и ВПНБ) была установлена устойчивая положительная зависимость у обоих подвидов чечевицы. По продуктивности у крупносеменной чечевицы выявлены образцы с более высокой продуктивностью и равной стандарту (ILL 485, Сакура, PI 468898, PI 451764, PI 435960, Славянка), а мелкосемянной чечевицы выделен образец ВИР, к-192 наиболее приближенный к стандартному сорту Крапинка.

High levels of carotenoids and gluten are the most important traits for seed quality and colour of semolina produced from durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.). Rapid methods based on colourimetry with three coordinates L*a*b* and SDS sedimentation produce indirect measurements of carotenoids and gluten, respectively. In contrast, traditional and accurate biochemical methods with n-butanol extraction of carotenoids and a Glutomatic-2200 instrument system for gluten are more complicated approaches requiring specific equipment and much more time. The aim of this study was to test and compare rapid and traditional methods for carotenoid and gluten quality in 8 durum wheat cultivars used as parents and 10 F₃-F₄ hybrids, which were very diverse in their composition. Genotyping of the TdPsy-B1 and TdGlu-B1 genes using SNP-based ASQ markers was consistent with carotenoid content and gluten quality in the parental lines and hybrids. Strong associations were found in the comparison between rapid measurements and traditional methods for carotenoid and gluten quality. Therefore, colourimetric and SDS sedimentation methods can be used for approximate assessment of carotenoid and gluten quality in durum wheat, but their practical value lies primarily in the ability to rapidly rank and select genotypes for subsequent detailed analysis.

Field pea genotypes with tall or semi-dwarf height and with regular or semi-leafless type leaves and tendrils differ in their reactions to drought depending on plant growth and development, impacting final seed yield. In the current opinion paper, arguments are presented showing that terminal drought at the post-flowering and maturing stage can be better tolerated by semi-dwarf and semi-leafless plants with a strong vertical standing ability compared to tall and leafy pea genotypes that suffer severe lodging. On the other hand, early drought at the vegetative stage strongly reverses the preference for faster growing and early flowering tall pea plants with regular leaves. It seems that short and semi-leafless plants lose the advantage of their non-lodging ability in early drought conditions. Meanwhile, drought occurring in the middle of the flowering period causes mixed results, whereby either group of pea genotypes can produce higher seed yield depending on local adaptations. This opinion-paper highlights the importance of characterising the impacts of drought stress at various plant developmental stages, separating differential responses of plants to early and terminal drought stress for pea production. The expected timing of drought, which is specific to different regions, must be used in the development of new cultivars with improved seed yield stability.