Development of locally-adapted faba bean cultivars for organic conditions in Germany through a participatory breeding approach

Organic farming requires cultivars that are specifically adapted to this low input cropping system. Hence, organic farmers and scientists joined in a participatory breeding approach to develop region-specific genotypes of spring faba bean for organic conditions in Germany. A set of 49 genotypes with contrasting degrees of heterozygosity and heterogeneity was used in field trials across five locations in Germany during 3 years 2004, 2005 and 2006. The material involved 18 inbred lines, their 18 polycross progenies, one blend of inbred lines, one blend of polycross progenies, one blend of hybrids and ten checks. Inbred lines are uniform, thus giving the option to be specifically adapted; whereas the polycross progenies and synthetics (Syn-1; predicted from the inbred lines and polycross progenies performance) are partly heterogeneous and heterozygous, thus giving the option to evolve. Agronomic performance was assessed and a “personal appreciation” score of the material was assigned to each genotype by each partner. This personal appreciation was strongly influenced by biotic and abiotic constraints faced by the crop in each location and by the expected grain yield of the genotypes. Uniformity was apparently appreciated by organic farmers. In all locations, the highest yielding inbred line yielded slightly better than the predicted highest yielding synthetic. However, this slight disadvantage of the synthetic is very likely to disappear if the synthetic (Syn-1) is propagated during successive generations.