History of the common bean crop: its evolution beyond its areas of origin and domestication

Abstract

RESUMEN:La judía común (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) es la leguminosa de grano más relevante para el consumo humano directo en escala global. Las colecciones de germoplasma de judía actuales muestran una amplia variación de fenotipos, aunque en muchos países las variedades locales están siendo reemplazados por cultivares de élite, concentrando la producción agraria en un número cada vez más reducido de cultivares con la consecuente erosión genética o pérdida de biodiversidad. Este cultivo se ha extendido por todos los continentes durante los últimos siglos, lo que ha dado lugar a una compleja estructura genética fuera de sus áreas de origen y domesticación (Mesoamérica y Sudamérica). Diversas evidencias indican que el germoplasma europeo contiene una diversidad adicional mayor de la esperada especialmente en el Sur de Europa, y particularmente en la Península Ibérica, dónde fue introducida a comienzos del siglo XVI, y que ha sido documentada como un centro de domesticación secundaria de la especie. La integración de datos ómicos en las bases de datos de documentación del germoplasma de judía y su combinación con datos genéticos, fenotípicos y agro-ecológicos está abriendo una nueva era para la valorización y el uso eficiente de los recursos genéticos de la judía común como la principal leguminosa de grano para consumo humano en Europa y globalmente.PALABRAS CLAVE: biodiversidad; domestication; evolución; genética; mejora genética; Phaseolus vulgaris. ABSTRACT:The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most important grain legume for direct human consumption on a global scale. Current bean germplasm collections show a wide variation of phenotypes, although genetic erosion is gradually affecting this species as in many countries local traditional varieties are being replaced by elite cultivars. This crop has spread to every continent over the past few centuries, which has resulted in a complex genetic structure of bean germplasm outside its areas of origin and domestication (South and Central America). Some evidence indicates that this germplasm is more complex than previously thought and contains additional, as yet unexplored, diversity. This is especially the case in southern Europe, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula, where it was introduced in the early sixteenth century and has been documented as a secondary focus of domestication of the species. The integration of omic data into bean germplasm documentation databases and its combination with genotypic, phenotypic and agro-ecological data is opening a new era for the enhancement and efficient use of common bean genetic resources as the main grain legume in Europe and worldwide.

Beans (Phaseolus ssp.) as a Model for Understanding Crop Evolution

“…It is possible that their adaptation to long days, their cold tolerance, and their resistance to pests and diseases were crucial, and this would probably have led to a reduction in the diversity that was initially present in the founding populations. Additionally, the selection operated by farmers for seed color and size, and culinary, organoleptic and nutritional quality might also have had strong impact on the evolution of the European bean, as witnessed by the myriad of local bean populations with particular characteristics and specific names ( Angioi et al, 2009b ; Lioi and Piergiovanni, 2013 ; De Ron et al, 2016 ). Moreover, the documented scenario of extensive Mesoamerican × Andean gene pools through their hybridisation in Europe ( Logozzo et al, 2007 ; Angioi et al, 2010 ; Gioia et al, 2013a ) suggests that introgressive hybridisation might have been the fundamental ‘evolutionary stimulus’ ( Anderson and Stebbins, 1954 ; Lewontin and Birch, 1966 ) that propelled and boosted bean evolution in Europe.…”

Morphological traits associated with anthracnose (Colletotrichum lindemuthianum) resistance in selected common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) genotypes

“…At reproductive stage when the beans started flowering, (the first flower opened until it was fully opened), visual observation was made to identify the flower colour of each common bean genotype (De Ron et al, 2016).…”

Warm Season Grain Legume Landraces From the South of Europe for Germplasm Conservation and Genetic Improvement

“…Common bean, runner or scarlet bean and cowpea are the warm season Mediterranean legumes included in this review. Common bean is the most important food legume for direct human consumption on a global scale ( De Ron et al, 2016a ), while runner bean has a more limited cultivation. Cowpea is extensively cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas in Africa (especially in the Sub-Saharan Africa, SSA) and the Americas (Central and South America), but has limited importance in Southern Europe and in North America ( De Ron, 2015 ).…”

“…After the initial domestication process in the Americas, the common and runner bean arrived in Spain and spread across Europe and later arrived in Africa ( Gepts and Bliss, 1988 ; De Ron et al, 2015 , 2016a ). Since these species were originated and domesticated in tropical highlands, local widely different biotic and physiological abiotic conditions and farmer preferences and/or initial genetic bottleneck had a strong influence on the development of European landraces ( Rodiño et al, 2006 ; Rodriguez et al, 2013 ; Raggi et al, 2014 ; Ferreyra et al, 2017 ) which resulted in a complex genetic structure of the bean germplasm and in a clear differentiation of the European gene pool with respect to the American genetic pools ( Santalla et al, 2002 ; Angioi et al, 2010 ; Spataro et al, 2011 ; Rodriguez et al, 2013 ).…”