Evidence for genotypic differences among elite lines of common bean in the ability to remobilize photosynthate to increase yield under drought

What is it about?

Drought stress is a major production constraint to common bean in the tropics. Several elite bean lines were developed with improved adaptation to drought stress. This paper provides evidence that the superior performance of these elite lines under both intermittent and terminal drought stress is associated with their ability to mobilize photosynthates from vegetative structures to developing pods and seeds under drought stress.

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Why is it important?

This work is important to common bean breeding programs in the tropics because the elite lines identified with drought resistance can serve as parents for further improvement of drought resistance in common bean. In addition, the phenotypic variation observed in morph-physiological traits can contribute to developing bean ideotypes to target to different agroecological niches with specific patterns of drought stress.

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