All over Europe
there is a growing concern among consumers, consumer
organisations and policy-makers about the safety and
impact on the environment of agricultural production of
food and foodstuffs. The faba bean (Vicia faba
L.) is one of the oldest crops grown by man and is used
as a source of protein in human diet, as fodder and
forage crop for animals, and for available nitrogen in
the biosphere. Its critical role in crop rotation,
reducing energy cost, improving soil physical conditions
and decreasing the amount of diseases and weed
populations has long been recognized. Despite these
advantages, legumes represent only 5% of the agricultural
area in Europe compared with the 20-30% in North and
South America, Australia and Asia. A recent increase
of plant protein demand has emerged, partly on
account of the negative economic consequences and the
social alarm generated by Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE) attributed to the use of
animal-based cattle feed. The ban on the use of meat and
bone meals in November 2000 greatly increased the deficit
in material rich in proteins. This lack of home-produced
plant protein sources has been covered with large imports
(over 16 Mt in 1999-2000) of soybean from the US
(source LINK, project AEP-FAIR CT98-3923) and even with
legume crops that traditionally have been grown in the
Mediterranean area. This high dependence has incited the
UE to acquire means that reinforce leguminous crops and
increase yields. Thus, it is highly important to re-introduce
leguminous crops in the European farming systems that
are lacking diversity and rely heavily on chemicals (both
fertilizers and pesticides) as well as to diversify
European crops. This matter, concerning faba bean, is
not being addressed in any other European project.
Consequently, it is of great importance to fulfill this
gap in an European consortium. In
spite of its potential, the total area of faba bean
cultivation has steadily decreased in many countries over
the last century. Many reasons have been given for this
decline but low and unstable yields as well as
susceptibility to diseases are chiefly to blame. Recent
research in Australia and Europe clearly shows that it is
possible to breed new faba bean varieties that are
disease resistant and will provide stable yields.
However, plant pathogens have the capacity to adapt to
new varieties and overcome certain resistance genes. By
working in different locations the selection of more
effective resistances can be facilitated.
To
turn Vicia faba into a perfect candidate for a
sustainable agriculture, the crop should be
attractive both to producers and to users (human or
animal nutrition). This goal could be achieved through
the development of genotypes resistant to diseases and
abiotic constrains such as over-wintering ability, frost
resistance and drought avoidance, and free of
anti-nutritional factors. Priorities for breeding are
absence of polyphenolic substances broadly referred to as
tannins (which diminish the biological value of the
protein), and vicine-convicine responsible for favism in
humans and for low egg production in laying hens.
The
selection of genotypes carrying the desired genes is
greatly facilitated by using molecular markers tightly
linked to the desired traits. In this sense, faba
bean is a well-characterised plant genetic system, with
numerous classical genetic markers, well-developed DNA
marker maps and basic tools for genome analysis.
Preliminary studies of morphological traits were followed
by the establishment of linkage maps based on
morphological, isozyme and RFLP markers, seed storage
protein genes, microsatellites and RAPD markers that
saturated different areas of the genome. Moreover, the
first attempts at mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs)
concerning yield and resistance to pest and diseases have
been recently reported.
On-going
(or just accepted) projects related to legumes (in 2002)
that we are aware of are:
- LINK:
Legume Interactive Network (TN) (FAIR-CT98-3923) and its
accompanying measure Pulses&health (QLAM-2000-00161)
(Coordinator: AEP)
- LEGUMED: Grain legumes in the
Mediterranean agriculture (AM) (ICA4-2001-50008)
(Coordinator: AEP)
- MEDICAGO: Integrated structural,
functional and comparative genomics of the model legume Medicago
truncatula. (SCP) (QLG2-CT-2000-00676) (Coordinator:
J. Dénarié, INRA-CNRS, France)
- HEALTHYPIGUT: Defining and
validating gut health criteria in young pig, based on
digestive physiology, microbiology and mucosal immunology
investigations for testing alternative strategies to
in-feed antibiotics (SCP) (QLK5-LT2000-00522)
(Coordinator: J-P. Lallès, INRA, France)
- GL-PRO: European Extension
Network for the development of grain legumes in the EU (CA)
(CA) (QLRT-2001-02418) (Coordinator: B.Carrouée, UNIP,
France)
- INTERCROP: Intercropping of
cereals and grain legumes for increased production, weed
control, improved product quality and prevention of
N-losses in European organic farming systems (SCP)
(QLRT-2001-02352) (Coordinator: E.S.Jensen, KVL, Denmark)
- PHASEOLINE: Real digestibility
& stimulating effect of phaseolin, bean storage
protein, on endogenous secretion in rats (Coordinator:
W.B. Souffrant, FBN-Rostock, Germany)
- PROFETAS: Protein Foods,
Environment, Technology and Society (Coordinator: T. van
Boekel, Wageningen U., The Netherlands)
Working contacts with the coordinators of these
projects will be planned
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