Breeding and management to minimize the effects of drought and improve water use efficiency.

Abstract

This chapter reviews the effects of water deficits on growth and yield of lentil and explores the genetic and agronomic options to minimize the effects of drought on dry matter (DM) production and seed yields.

Searching for Abiotic Tolerant and Biotic Stress Resistant Wild Lentils for Introgression Breeding Through Predictive Characterization

“…The likelihood of identifying drought-tolerant populations through this approach is further supported by the fact that wild lentil species have shown a wider genetic diversity associated with drought tolerance than cultivated varieties, especially in L. ervoides ( Singh et al, 2016 ) and L. nigricans ( Coyne et al, 2020 ), and that experimental testing of drought tolerance of wild and cultivated peas found some wild pea accessions better adapted to drought than cultivated pea, as well as ecogeographical patterns associated to aridity gradients ( Naim-feil et al, 2017 ). Additionally, lentils have other strategies to overcome drought, such as drought escape (advance or delay of the flowering time) ( Shrestha et al, 2009 ), which can show a more intense response in semi-arid sites. Finally, other works with legume species have successfully selected drought-tolerant accessions of Vicia species through the calibration method of the FIGS approach ( Khazaei et al, 2013 ; Bari et al, 2016 ).…”

Grain Legumes

“…Local lentil varieties grown in the Mediterranean climates of North Africa are sown in the spring and reproductive growth begins just before the solstice in early summer at day lengths at or near 12 h (Shrestha et al 2009). These lentils ideally need to complete seed fill before the hot dry late summer months.…”

“…These lentils ideally need to complete seed fill before the hot dry late summer months. Conversely, lentil grown in northern Argentina, South Asia, and Australia are planted in the fall, grow vegetatively during days of decreasing photoperiod and flower during much shorter days of about 11 h (Erskine 1983;Shrestha et al 2009). In this situation, the crop will yield best if it completes seed fill just before the end of the spring rainy season.…”

“…In this situation, the crop will yield best if it completes seed fill just before the end of the spring rainy season. When lentil lines from the Mediterranean/West Asian regions are grown in South Asia, seed filling is diminished because of hot dry conditions resulting in lower yields (Erskine and Hawtin 1983;Shrestha et al 2009). Erskine et al (1994) reported that 49 % of the variation in yield is due to variation in flowering time, demonstrating the efficacy of phenotypes that were able to flower and fill pods prior to terminal drought stress.…”

Opportunities to improve the seasonal dynamics of water use in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) to enhance yield increase in water-limited environments

“…Developmental plasticity can involve one or all of these plant characteristics. In particular, the ability of plants to adjust the duration of different growth phases in response to the availability of soil water during the growing season enables a plant to produce higher yields when the growing period is longer [52]. Such plasticity is an important mechanism in unpredictable climates and under unfavorable soil water regimes.…”