Analysis of the tolerance of local populations of bean (Vicia faba L.) to drought in the juvenile stage

Drought is the most important abiotic stress responsible of the production instability and lower levels of yields of faba bean (Vicia faba L.). The cropping of tolerant varieties can be an opportunity to stabilize production. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the genetic variability and to study the drought tolerance in the juvenile plant stage in a collection of local Moroccan faba bean populations from the province of Taounate. A number of 60 local populations were studied under controlled conditions in a greenhouse. Different morphological and physiological traits were studied before and under water stress and during the recovery phase. The difference between recovery and water stress phases estimates the capacity of local populations to recover from drought. The local populations contain a wide diversity for different studied traits. The gain in dry matter has a negative and highly significant correlation with dry matter yield under water stress (r = -0.64 **). The populations 16, 47, 1 and 9 have proven to be the most drought tolerant at juvenile stage.

Keywords: Local populations, genetic variability, faba bean, water stress, juvenile plant stage, drought