Common bean germplasm selection for photosynthate remobilization and partitioning traits under drought stress

Abstract

Drought stress is one of the main factors limiting common bean yield in Brazil (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), that is the largest common bean producer and consumer in the world. Total nonstructural carbohydrates stored in the stem serve as a source of photosynthates during grain filing under drought stress. Breeding programs seek for drought tolerance besides traits required by the consumer market as yield and disease resistance. The remobilization of total nonstructural carbohydrate stored in the stem during grain filling may be an indicative of drought tolerance and be correlated to yield in common bean. The aim of this work is to support the IAC Common Bean Breeding Program by evaluating and selecting germplasm accessions presenting photosynthate remobilization capacity under drought stress. Germplasm accessions introduced from CIAT and from the BAG-Feijão IAC will be evaluated for photoshyntate remobilization traits such as shoot biomass, biomass partitioning indexes and total non structural carbohydrates in the mid-pod filling and at maturity. (AU)