Faba Bean

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is one of the important food legumes, prized for its high protein, biological nitrogen fixation, contribution to food and nutritional security, and sustainable agriculture. Climate change, resource constraints, evolving spectrum of pests and diseases, and rising demand for plant-based proteins make accelerated improvement of faba bean urgent. While classical breeding has produced valuable cultivars, a changing climate requires developing climate-resilient, high-yielding varieties more efficiently, accurately and speedily. This necessitates the application of recent advances in genetics and genomics. This book presents a comprehensive volume that covers its economic importance, botanical descriptions, cytology, evolution, domestication, germplasm resources and their characterization, conventional breeding strategies, speed breeding, high-throughput phenotyping, molecular genetics (including QTL mapping and GWAS), genomics, synteny with allied and model genomes and comparative genome mapping, genomics-enabled improvement for abiotic and biotic stress resistance, and post-genome technologies. Key features:Reviews botanical characteristics, cytology, and global germplasm resources and characterization. Examines conventional breeding and germplasm-based improvement, and presents modern approaches such as speed breeding, high-throughput phenotyping, and genomic selection. Details molecular genetics and mapping (QTL, GWAS), marker-assisted selection, and molecular breeding platforms. Discusses genomics resources, comparative mapping and synteny, genome editing, genomics-enabled trait improvement (seed quality, reduced anti-nutrients, stress resistance), and post-genome translational technologies. Bridging foundational science and applied crop improvement, this volume is a valuable resource for students, researchers, breeders, geneticists, molecular biologists, and crop scientists seeking the concepts and tools to accelerate sustainable faba bean improvement and strengthen its contribution to global food and nutritional security.