Drought Tolerance in Common Bean

Dear Colleagues,

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most important grain legume for direct human consumption. Common bean seeds are rich in protein, complex carbohydrates and micronutrients, and constitute the basis of the diet for millions of people in developing countries. In addition to their nutritive values, one of the most prominent advantages of legumes is their ability to use atmospheric nitrogen, thus reducing fertilization requirements. Drought is a major cause limiting global productivity of crops. Moreover, common bean is often cultivated in regions that suffer from moderate to severe drought. It is estimated that drought affects over 50% of the common bean cultivated worldwide, causing important grain yield reductions in many regions, particularly in poor countries. Common bean exhibits enormous genotypic variability in drought tolerance and many efforts has been made to obtain tolerant lines through the evaluation of this trait in germplasm collections and breeding programs. In recent years, molecular characterization of the responses to drought and other abiotic stresses is growing, including whole genome analysis, identification of key target genes, and so on. Integration of all possible efforts is needed to ameliorate the adverse effect of water scarcity in this important legume crop.

Contributions to this Special Issue are invited from all scientists dealing with common bean responses to drought, including molecular and biochemical analysis, physiological responses, agronomical and environmental perspectives, phenotypic and genotypic studies, crop breeding, and any other work related to the responses to stress in this crop. Research papers, reviews and perspectives are welcome.

Dr. Josefa M. Alamillo
Dr. A. Paula Rodiño
Guest Editors

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• abiotic stress
• common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)
• drought tolerance
• functional genomics
• genome-wide association studies (GWAS)
• genotype–environment interactions
• nitrogen fixation under water stress
• plant breeding
• phosphorus and nitrogen stress
• transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic responses to water deficit
• ureide acumulation under drought stress
• water deficit and oxidative stress
• water deficit and phytohormone relatioships