Biotic pollination can benefit crop production, but its effects are highly variable. To maximise benefits from this ecosystem service, we need a greater understanding of the factors that cause ...variation so that ecological intensification can be more effectively applied.
We focus on understanding the benefits of pollination to faba bean Vicia faba. We use a literature review followed by multi‐level meta‐analysis to estimate overall benefits of pollination to faba bean yield and to quantify variation (heterogeneity) in these benefits associated with different contextual factors (e.g. plant genotype, growing environment).
Our overall estimate of pollination benefit to faba bean yield, expressed as the percentage yield reduction without pollination, is 32.9% (confidence interval: 21%–43%). Based on the prediction intervals, which include the heterogeneity in pollination benefit, there is an 80% chance that pollination will increase yield of a faba bean crop.
Half of all heterogeneity in pollination dependence was due to differences between plant genotypes. The number of beans per plant showed similar pollination dependence to yield mass per plant while pod number and number of beans per pod underestimated yield benefits. There was weak evidence to suggest pollination benefits vary between pollinator species, with honeybees showing a smaller yield increase.
Differences in the experimental method used to assess pollination benefit did not significantly affect the estimate, including the growing environment, measurement scale, or whether the effects of experimental pollinator enclosures were controlled. This suggests that simplified experimental studies comparing yield of open‐pollinated and enclosed plants can provide reliable insights into pollination benefits across a large range of plant genotypes and landscapes.
Synthesis and application. We found high variability in pollination benefits both between and within publications in our meta‐analysis. Plant genotype, how yield was measured, and pollinator species affected the level of pollination benefit. Despite variability in pollination benefits due to various contextual factors (both inside and outside of grower control), there is a high likelihood that biotic pollination will increase faba bean yield. Our findings support ecological intensification and specifically the management of pollinators to maximise pollination benefits to faba bean production.
We found high variability in pollination benefits both between and within publications in our meta‐analysis. Plant genotype, how yield was measured, and pollinator species affected the level of pollination benefit. Despite variability in pollination benefits due to various contextual factors (both inside and outside of grower control), there is a high likelihood that biotic pollination will increase faba bean yield. Our findings support ecological intensification and specifically the management of pollinators to maximise pollination benefits to faba bean production.
Aims
This study aimed to investigate the effects of coexistence with faba bean, a phosphorus (P)-efficient crop, on soil-accumulated P use by a maize/faba bean intercropping system on dynamic changes ...in soil P pool.
Methods
Maize and faba bean were grown in P-accumulated soil as either sole cropping or intercropping. After one year (Stage I) or four years (Stage II) of no P application, soil samples were collected respectively and analyzed for soil P pools using sequential fractionation. Aboveground biomass and P content were annually measured from 2013 to 2016 to assess the annual P balance.
Results
The intercropped maize/faba bean system showed a P-uptake advantage, with a Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) ranging from 1.2 to 1.5. The average shoot P content over the four years in intercropped maize and faba bean was significantly greater than that of the corresponding sole crops by 29% and 30%, respectively. Over the three-year P depletion period, the three cropping systems primarily depleted the 1 M HCl-P
i
fraction, followed by sole maize, which depleted the NaOH-P
i
and concentrated HCl-P
o
fractions. Sole faba bean depleted the alkali-soluble P
o
fraction (extracted by NaHCO
3
and NaOH), and the intercropped maize/faba bean system depleted the conc. HCl-P
o
fraction, which was similar to the effect of sole maize.
Conclusions
Both sole crops and intercrops mainly depleted 1 M HCl-P
i
, but differed in P
o
depletion. Sole maize and maize/faba bean intercropping depleted the sparingly labile P
o
fraction, while sole faba bean depleted the labile and moderately labile P
o
fractions.
A radical transformation of the world food system is needed to meet the UN sustainable development goals and ensure food security, whilst maintaining the health of the people and the planet. There is ...an urgent need to accelerate innovation for more sustainable and healthy food systems.
This paper discusses the area of future protein demand and the need for a re-balance towards more sustainable plant-based proteins. It uses the example of faba bean protein production to illustrate considerations for developing alternative protein-rich ingredients for sustainable food systems. The paper covers the nutritional and anti-nutritional components of faba bean and reviews the effects of processing on the nutritional and techno-functionality of faba bean ingredients in traditional food applications and expanding markets of meat and dairy substitutes. It emphasises the need for a through the food value chain approach for designing new supply chains based on future planetary and human health needs.
Currently, there are disjointed approaches to food ingredient development. This will not achieve the necessary transformative changes to meet the sustainable development goals. A transdisciplinary effort that links a knowledge of crop production, nutrition, consumer science, material science and processing will be needed to help inform and direct agronomy, processing and ingredient production requirements. This review highlights the opportunity to design desired characteristics into future pulse supply chains. The implementation of these design principles will need to be supported through appropriate policies and incentives and the use of new business models to accelerate innovation.
•Radical transformation in food systems is needed to ensure food security.•A transdisciplinary effort is required to design sustainable protein supply chains.•Developing sustainable faba bean ingredients matched to application are advocated.•Opportunities exist to design future food supply chains to meet market needs.•A re-balance to sustainable plant proteins is needed to meet future protein demand.
The versatility of faba bean Vicia faba grain as valuable protein feed is hampered by its relatively high level of the compounds vicine and convicine (VC), which are antinutritive factors in poultry ...and other non‐ruminants. The objective of this study was to fine‐map the major locus for VC and, based on this, to develop a novel low‐VC winter faba bean. Bi‐parental F2‐families and isogenic lines of three different genetic backgrounds were used for the linkage‐mapping and to collect transcriptomic data. Furthermore, based on synteny to Medicago truncatula and Cicer arietinum, a candidate gene for the VC locus was identified. Zooming into the vicinity of the major VC locus resulted in eight DNA‐markers suitable for breeding low VC winter faba beans. A novel, genetically low VC winter faba bean population was accordingly developed.
Falcataria falcata is an exotic tree species that was imported to southern China around 1940 and has been widely planted in the Guangdong province of China. Using the 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing ...approach, we investigated the composition of the bacterial endophytes in the root nodules of naturally grown F. falcata and elucidated the core bacterial endophyte group. Across all samples, there were 575 bacterial genera and 29 bacterial phyla. Proteobacteria accounted for 42–90% relative abundance in all regions. Notably, Bradyrhizobium, Paucibacter, Rhizobium, and Mesorhizobium were consistently detected in all regions studied. Among these, Bradyrhizobium (13–37%) and Paucibacter (1–34%) were the dominant genera. Despite the differences in endophytic amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) across all regions, our results demonstrate that some ASVs, which have been termed herein as commonly shared core ASVs (c-ASVs), still inhabit F. falcata root nodules across multiple regions simultaneously. More importantly, some c-ASVs dominated in F. falcata root nodules across multiple regions. This study demonstrated the consistency of the bacterial endophyte communities of F. falcata root nodules.
ACE inhibitory activity was investigated for protein hydrolysates derived from protein isolates of three Phaseolus vulgaris varieties, namely, navy bean, black bean and small red bean. Hydrolysis was ...performed using sequential digestion of Alcalase/Flavourzyme (AF) or Alcalase/papain (AP). Samples of the protein isolates were heated prior to hydrolysis and the results (i.e., degree of hydrolysis (DH), electrophoresis profiles, and ACE inhibitory activities) were compared to unheated samples. For all varieties, significantly higher DH values (P<0.05) were obtained for the AF hydrolysates compared to the AP hydrolysates. Heat treatments improved the DH values of navy bean and small red bean, however, lower values were observed for the heated black bean samples. For all unheated samples, phaseolins were degraded slowly to fragments with an estimated molecular mass around 20–24kDa which were resistant to further AF or AP digestions. Extensive degradations were observed for heat-treated samples and phaseolins were hydrolyzed into smaller peptides at the initial stage of digestions. AP hydrolysates for all investigated varieties presented higher ACE inhibitory activity than the AF hydrolysates. The highest ACE inhibitory activities were obtained after 100min of AP digestion for heated samples from navy bean, and 95min of AP digestion for heated samples from both black and small red beans, which yielded an IC50 of 68±5μgprotein/ml, 83±13μgprotein/ml and 78±7μgprotein/ml, respectively. Stabilities of these hydrolysates were tested by simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion followed by ACE inhibition studies, and lower IC50 values were determined for all three hydrolysates.
► Heating and enzyme hydrolysis were used to enhance bean ACE inhibitory activity. ► Higher ACE inhibitory activities were obtained from bean Alcalase/papain digests. ► Heat treatment facilitated phaseolin degradation. ► Heat treatment improved ACE inhibitory activities of navy and small red beans.
Costa Rica is experiencing a fast demographic aging. Healthy diets may help to ameliorate the burden of aging-related conditions.
This study aimed to investigate the association of a traditional ...dietary pattern and 2 of its major components (beans and rice) with all-cause mortality among elderly Costa Ricans.
The Costa Rican Longevity and Healthy Aging Study (CRELES), a prospective cohort study of 2827 elderly Costa Ricans (60+ y at baseline), started in 2004. We used a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to assess usual diet. We calculated dietary patterns using principal component analysis. Multivariate energy-adjusted proportional-hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Over a 15-y follow-up, encompassing 24,304 person-years, 1667 deaths occurred. The traditional Costa Rican dietary pattern was more frequent in rural parts of the country, and it was inversely associated with all-cause mortality. Subjects in the fifth quintile of intake had 18% lower all-cause mortality than those in the first quintile (HR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.69, 0.98; P-trend = 0.01), particularly among males (HR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.56, 0.95). Bean intake was associated with lower all-cause mortality among all subjects (HR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.68, 0.91, highest compared with lowest tertile) and in sex-stratified analysis. Rice consumption was inversely associated with all-cause mortality solely among males (HR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.60, 0.94, highest compared with lowest tertile).
Our results suggest that a traditional Costa Rican rural dietary pattern is associated with lower all-cause mortality in elderly Costa Ricans. Beans, a major component of this traditional dietary pattern, was also associated with lower all-cause mortality. These findings could have important implications for public health, given the nutritional transition and the reduction of intake of traditional diets in Latin American countries.
Pigeonpea is the second most important legume crop grown in India after chickpea. India is the largest producer of pigeonpea in the world. However, the productivity of pigeonpea in India remains ...stagnant over the years. The productivity of pigeonpea can be improved through exploitation of heterosis. The cytoplasmic genetic male sterility is the predominant method employed in hybrid development in pigeonpea during the recent days owing to the advantages involved. The present study involved the identification of fertility restorers for three Cajanus scarabaeoides (A.sub.2) based short duration (120-130 days) male sterile lines, namely CORG 990047A, CORG 990052A and CORG 7A. A total of 77 inbreds were involved in the hybridization programme. The pollen fertility of the 186 hybrids ranged from 0.00 to 94.89%. The independent confirmation of fertility restoration based on pollen fertility and pod set by selfing showed that, the hybrids, namely CORG 990047A x AK 261322, CORG 990052A x AK 261322 and CORG 7A x AK 261322 were identified as fertile. The inbred AK 261322 was the potential restorer of fertility in A.sub.2 male sterile lines. The hybrids, namely CORG 990047A x AK 261322 (35.19%), CORG 990052A x AK 261322 (12.75%) and CORG 7A x AK 261322 (19.77%) showed high heterosis for single plant yield over CO(Rg)7, a commercial check variety. The hybrids identified in the present study can be exploited for commercial cultivation after evaluation under various yield trials to estimate its performance. The polymorphic SSR markers identified in the present study can be utilized in future to assess the genetic purity of the hybrids.
•A CVS was created and images of seven different dry bean varieties were taken.•A morphological based model has been developed to classify dry bean varieties.•Four separate machine learning ...techniques were used to create a model.•Classified with an accuracy rate of 93.13% through the SVM model created.
There is a wide range of genetic diversity of dry bean which is the most produced one among the edible legume crops in the world. Seed quality is definitely influential in crop production. Therefore, seed classification is essential for both marketing and production to provide the principles of sustainable agricultural systems. The primary objective of this study is to provide a method for obtaining uniform seed varieties from crop production, which is in the form of population, so the seeds are not certified as a sole variety. Thus, a computer vision system was developed to distinguish seven different registered varieties of dry beans with similar features in order to obtain uniform seed classification. For the classification model, images of 13,611 grains of 7 different registered dry beans were taken with a high-resolution camera. A user-friendly interface was designed using the MATLAB graphical user interface (GUI). Bean images obtained by computer vision system (CVS) were subjected to segmentation and feature extraction stages, and a total of 16 features; 12 dimension and 4 shape forms, were obtained from the grains. Multilayer perceptron (MLP), Support Vector Machine (SVM), k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN), Decision Tree (DT) classification models were created with 10-fold cross validation and performance metrics were compared. Overall correct classification rates have been determined as 91.73%, 93.13%, 87.92% and 92.52% for MLP, SVM, kNN and DT, respectively. The SVM classification model, which has the highest accuracy results, has classified the Barbunya, Bombay, Cali, Dermason, Horoz, Seker and Sira bean varieties with 92.36%, 100.00%, 95.03%, 94.36%, 94.92%, 94.67% and 86.84%, respectively. With these results, the demands of the producers and the customers are largely met about obtaining uniform bean varieties.
Overweight and obesity are constantly increasing, not only in Western countries but also in low‐middle‐income ones. The decrease of both the intake of carbohydrates and their assimilation are among ...the main dietary strategies to counter these conditions. α‐Amylase, a key enzyme involved in the digestion of carbohydrates, is the target enzyme to reduce the absorption rate of carbohydrates. α‐Amylase inhibitors (α‐AIs) can be found in plants. The common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris is of particular interest due to the presence of protein‐based α‐AIs which, through a protein–protein interaction, reduce the activity of this enzyme. Here we describe the nature of the various types of common bean seed extracts, the type of protein inhibitors they contain, reviewing the recent Literature about their molecular structure and mechanism of action. We also explore the existing evidence (clinical trials conducted on both animals and humans) supporting the potential benefits of this protein inhibitors from P. vulgaris, also highlighting the urgent need of further studies to confirm the clinical efficacy of the commercial products. This work could contribute to summarize the knowledge and application of P. vulgaris extract as a nutraceutical strategy for controlling unwanted weight gains, also highlighting the current limitations.
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