Search Results (24)

Salinity is a critical abiotic stress influencing plant growth. However, its effect on grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.) remains insufficiently explored. The present study screened 24 germplasm accessions representing 11 Lathyrus species at the seedling stage at 0, 100, and 150 mM NaCl concentrations using a hydroponic system. Our findings indicated that salt stress had a significant effect on all assessed traits, including a reduction in relative leaf water content and SPAD index, a decline in the length and biomass of shoots and roots, and an elevation in their corresponding dry contents. The grasspea accessions displayed a wide range of responses to salt stress. This variation allowed the identification of nine tolerant accessions at both stress levels, belonging to cultivated and wild relative species, specifically LAT 495, IG 65117, L.OCH, IG 65273, IG 64931, IG 114526, IG 64892, IG 66065, and IG 65018. Four accessions, namely IG 110632, IG 114531, IG 65133, and IG 66026, demonstrated tolerance only at 100 mM NaCl concentration. Through identifying these promising accessions, our research offers crucial insights for the initial screening of tolerant genotypes in grasspea, setting the stage for further studies to decipher the intricate mechanisms of salinity tolerance in these accessions. Full article

Background/Objectives: The increased frequency of extreme weather events related to climate change, including the occurrence of extreme temperatures, severely affects crop yields, impairing global food security. Heat stress resulting from temperatures above 30 °C is associated with poor germination performance and stand establishment. The combination of climate-resilient crop genotypes and tailored seed priming treatments might represent a reliable strategy to overcome such drawbacks. This work explores the potential of hydropriming as a tool to mitigate the heat-stress-mediated impact on germination performance in orphan legumes. Methods: For each tested species (Lathyrus sativus L., Pisum sativum var. arvense and Trigonella foenum-graecum L.), two accessions were investigated. Germination tests were performed at 25 °C, 30 °C, 35 °C and 40 °C to assess the heat stress tolerance threshold. Hydropriming was then applied and germination tests were performed at 40 °C to test the impact of the treatment on the seeds’ ability to cope with heat stress. An alkaline comet assay and Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction were performed on embryos excised from primed and control seeds. Results: Phenotyping at the germination and seedling development stage highlighted the accession-specific beneficial impact of hydropriming under heat stress conditions. In L. sativus seeds, the alkaline comet assay revealed the dynamics of heat stress-induced DNA damage accumulation, as well as the repair patterns promoted by hydropriming. The expression patterns of genes involved in DNA repair and antioxidant response were consistently responsive to the hydropriming and heat wave conditions in L. sativus accessions. Full article

One of the main abiotic factors affecting agricultural productivity in semi-arid regions is salinity. Seed priming is a frequently used method to enhance plant growth under saline environments. The aim of this work was to demonstrate the differences in eight agronomical characteristics of two grass pea varieties under two salinity regimes (80 and 160 mM NaCl) when pre-exposed to seed priming (hydropriming, biopriming with Bacillus subtilis and their combination). The two varieties responded well to the priming treatments, with more beneficial effects monitored for the local variety. Evaluating the root characteristics that are most affected by stress, it was found that, at 80 mM NaCl, the combination of biopriming and hydropriming increased the fresh root weight by 36.8% and root length by 70% in the commercial variety, and by 124% and 47%, in the local variety, respectively. At 160 mM NaCl, biopriming increased the fresh root weight by 40.3% and root length by 50.3% in the commercial variety, while in the local variety, the combination of biopriming and hydropriming increased the fresh root weight by 124% and root length by 47%, respectively. Overall, biopriming and the combination of biopriming and hydropriming significantly enhanced plant growth characteristics of the two grass pea genotypes. Full article

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a nutritious legume crop well-adapted to fragile agro-ecosystems that can survive under challenging climatic conditions. The cultivation of grass pea faces stigma primarily due to the presence of β-N-Oxalyl-L-α, β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP), which is associated with a risk of inducing neurolathyrism upon prolonged consumption of its grains as a staple diet. The grass pea improvement program of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) aims to reduce β-ODAP content to a safe level along with improving yield potential and nutritional quality of grass pea. In this study, 183 germplasm accessions representing 13 different Lathyrus species and 11 L. sativus breeding lines were evaluated for β-ODAP content based on Rao protocol and mineral concentration using ICP-OES. Significant variability was observed among the accessions for the studied traits. The results showed low β-ODAP content and high mineral concentration in 25 accessions of crop wild relatives, which included L. cicera, L. ochrus, and L. cassius, with one accession IG65277 of L. cassius, in addition to two lines, IG117034 and ACC1335, of L. sativus having very low β-ODAP content. Furthermore, some accessions of L. pseudocicera, L. aphaca, L. cicera, L. marmoratus, L. gorgoni, and L. tingitanus also showed low β-ODAP content. The results showed significant positive correlations among different trait combinations, viz., K and P (r = 0.193 ***), K and Fe (r = 0.177 ***), Mn and Fe (r = 0.210 ***), Mn and Se (r = 0.137 ***), β-ODAP and Mg (r = 0.158 **), and β-ODAP and Ca (r = 0.140 **). L. cicera, L. ochrus, and L. cassius were identified as a great source for improving the mineral concentration and reducing β-ODAP content in the cultivated grass pea. Full article

Grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a climate-smart legume crop with adaptation to fragile agroecosystems. The genus Lathyrus is recognized for its vast genetic diversity, encompassing over 160 species, many of which are cultivated for various purposes across different regions of the world. Among these, Lathyrus sativus is widely cultivated as food, feed, and fodder in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) regions. Its global cultivation has declined substantially due to the stigma posed by the presence of neurotoxin β-N-oxalyl-L-α, β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP) in its seeds and green foliage. Overconsumption for a longer period of grasspea seeds harvested from landraces may lead to a neurological disorder called neurolathyrism in humans. ODAP is an obstacle for grasspea expansion, but crop wild relatives (CWRs) have been found to offer a solution. The incorporation of CWRs, particularly Lathyrus cicera, and landraces into breeding programs may reduce the ODAP content in grasspea varieties to a safer level. Recent advances in genomics-assisted breeding have expanded the potential for utilizing challenging CWRs to develop grasspea varieties that combine ultra-low ODAP levels with improved yield, stability, and adaptability. Further progress in omics technologies—such as transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics—along with genome sequencing and editing, has greatly accelerated the development of grasspea varieties with reduced or zero ODAP content, while also enhancing the plant’s agronomic value. This review highlights the significance of utilizing CWRs in pre-breeding programs, and harnessing advanced tools and technologies to enhance the performance, adaptability, and resilience of grasspea in response to changing environmental conditions. Full article

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a protein-rich crop that is resilient to various abiotic stresses, including drought. However, it is not cultivated widely for human consumption due to the neurotoxin β-N-oxalyl-L-α, β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP) and its association with neurolathyrism. Though some varieties with low β-ODAP have been developed through classical breeding, the β-ODAP content is increasing due to genotype x environment interactions. This review covers grass pea nutritional quality, β-ODAP biosynthesis, mechanism of paralysis, traditional ways to reduce β-ODAP, candidate genes for boosting sulfur-containing amino acids, and the potential and targets of gene editing to reduce β-ODAP content. Recently, two key enzymes (β-ODAP synthase and β-cyanoalanine synthase) have been identified in the biosynthetic pathway of β-ODAP. We proposed four strategies through which the genes encoding these enzymes can be targeted and suppressed using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. Compared to its homology in Medicago truncatula, the grass pea β-ODAP synthase gene sequence and β-cyanoalanine synthase showed 62.9% and 95% similarity, respectively. The β-ODAP synthase converts the final intermediate L-DAPA into toxic β-ODAP, whist β-cyanoalanine synthase converts O-Acetylserine into β-isoxazolin-5-on-2-yl-alanine. Since grass pea is low in methionine and cysteine amino acids, improvement of these amino acids is also needed to boost its protein content. This review contains useful resources for grass pea improvement while also offering potential gene editing strategies to lower β-ODAP levels. Full article

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important legume crop worldwide. An emerging disease, basal stem rot with obvious wilt symptoms, was observed in the upper part of chickpea plants during the disease survey in Qiubei County of Yunnan Province. Three fungal isolates (ZD36-1, ZD36-2, and ZD36-3) were obtained from the diseased tissue of chickpea plants collected from the field. Those isolates were morphologically found to be similar to Diaporthe aspalathi. Molecular sequence analyses of multiple gene regions (ITS, tef1, tub2, cal, and his3) indicated that the three isolates showed a high identity with D. aspalathi. Pathogenicity and host range tests of the isolates were performed on the original host chickpea and eight other legume crops. The isolates were strongly pathogenic to chickpea and appeared highly pathogenic to soybean, cowpea, and mung bean; moderated or mild pathogenic to adzuki bean and common bean; however, the isolates did not cause symptoms on grass pea (Lathyrus sativus). Diaporthe aspalathi was previously reported as a main pathogen causing the southern stem canker in soybean. To our knowledge, this is the first report of D. aspalathi inducing basal stem rot on chickpea worldwide. Full article

Grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is recognized as a highly drought-tolerant legume. However, excessive consumption of its seeds and green tissues causes neurolathyrism, a condition characterized by an irreversible paralysis of the legs induced by a neurotoxin amino acid called β-N-oxalyl-L-α, β- diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP). The present study investigated the effects of heat, and combined heat + drought during the reproductive phase on physiological and phenological parameters, yield-related factors, ODAP content, and seed protein of 24 genotypes representing 11 Lathyrus species under controlled conditions. Analysis of variance revealed a highly significant effect (p < 0.001) of stress treatments and genotypes for all the traits. In general, heat stress individually or in combination with drought expedited phenology, reduced relative leaf water content, stimulated proline synthesis, and influenced chlorophyll concentration; the effects were more severe under the combined heat + drought stress. ODAP content in seeds ranged from 0.06 to 0.30% under no-stress conditions. However, under heat stress, there was a significant increase of 33% in ODAP content, and under combined stress (heat + drought), the increase reached 83%. Crude protein content ranged from 15.64 to 28.67% among no stress plants and decreased significantly by 23% under heat stress and by 36% under combined stress. The findings of this study also indicated substantial reductions in growth and grain yield traits under both heat stress and combined heat + drought stress. Six accessions namely IG 66026, IG 65018, IG 65687, IG 118511, IG 64931, and IG65273 were identified as having the most favorable combination of yield, protein content, and seed ODAP levels across all conditions. ODAP content in these six accessions varied from 0.07 to 0.11% under no stress and remained at moderate levels during both heat stress (0.09–0.14%) and combined stress (0.11–0.17%). IG 66026 was identified as the most stable genotype under drought and heat stress conditions with high protein content, and low ODAP content. By identifying those promising accessions, our results have established a basis for forthcoming grasspea breeding initiatives while paving the way for future research exploration into the fundamental mechanisms driving ODAP variation in the presence of both heat and drought stress conditions. Full article

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.), an indigenous legume of the subcontinental region, is a promising source of protein and other nutrients of health significance. Contrarily, a high amount of β-N-oxalyl-l-α,β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP) and other anti-nutrients limits its wider acceptability as healthier substitute to protein of animal and plant origin. This study was aimed at investigating the effect of different processing techniques, viz. soaking, boiling, germination, and fermentation, to improve the nutrient-delivering potential of grass pea lentil and to mitigate its anti-nutrient and toxicant burden. The results presented the significant (p < 0.05) effect of germination on increasing the protein and fiber content of L. sativus from 22.6 to 30.7% and 15.1 to 19.4%, respectively. Likewise, germination reduced the total carbohydrate content of the grass pea from 59.1 to 46%. The highest rate of reduction in phytic acid (91%) and β-ODAP (37%) were observed in germinated grass pea powder, whereas fermentation anticipated an 89% reduction in tannin content. The lactic acid fermentation of grass pea increased the concentration of calcium, iron, and zinc from 4020 to 5100 mg/100 g, 3.97 to 4.35 mg/100 g, and 3.52 to 4.97 mg/100 g, respectively. The results suggest that fermentation and germination significantly (p < 0.05) improve the concentration of essential amino acids including threonine, leucine, histidine, tryptophan, and lysine in L. sativus powder. This study proposes lactic acid fermentation and germination as safer techniques to improve the nutrient-delivering potential of L. sativus and suggests processed powders of the legume as a cost-effective alternative to existing plant proteins. Full article

What consumers choose when purchasing food is of most importance to promote sustainability. The consumption of more sustainable foods should be stimulated, for example, by using more sustainable ingredients and by consumer education. Therefore, an innovative and highly nutritious vegan burger with seaweed (VBS) was developed using sustainable ingredients, such as pulses—grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) and chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)—and the seaweed Dulse (Palmaria palmata L.) from aquaculture. VBS was analysed for its physico-chemical and nutritional characteristics, including antioxidant activity (DPPH, TPC) and fatty acid and mineral element profiles. Shelf life and consumer acceptability were determined. The VBS was shown to be a source of protein (8.01 ± 0.14% fresh weight (FW)), fibre (5.75% FW), and mineral elements, such as P, Fe, rich in Mg, Mn, and Cu, while having low sodium content. Moreover, it presents a low sugar content. Furthermore, no antioxidant activity was detected. The pasteurised and vacuum-packed product had a shelf life of 90 days and was well accepted by consumers (64.0% acceptance). It may be concluded that an innovative VBS, nutritionally rich and with a shelf life of 90 days, was developed and well accepted by consumers, which is a good addition to a rich and diverse diet. Full article

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a pulse with historical importance in Portugal, but that was forgotten over time. Previous to this work, an innovative miso was developed to increase grass pea usage and consumption, using fermentation as a tool to extol this ingredient. Our work’s goal was to develop a new vegan emulsion with added value, using grass pea sweet miso as a clean-label ingredient, aligned with the most recent consumer trends. For this, a multidisciplinary approach with microbiological, rheological and chemical methods was followed. Grass pea sweet miso characterization revealed a promising ingredient in comparison with soybean miso, namely for its low fat and sodium chloride content and higher content in antioxidant potential. Furthermore, in vitro antimicrobial activity assays showed potential as a preservation supporting agent. After grass pea sweet miso characterization, five formulations with 5–15% (w/w) of miso were tested, with a vegan emulsion similar to mayonnaise as standard. The most promising formulation, 7.5% (w/w) miso, presented adequate rheological properties, texture profile and fairly good stability, presenting a unimodal droplet size distribution and stable backscattering profile. The addition of 0.1% (w/w) psyllium husk, a fiber with great water-intake capacity, solved the undesirable release of exudate from the emulsion, as observed on the backscattering results. Furthermore, the final product presented a significantly higher content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in comparison with the standard vegan emulsion. Full article

Vegetal diamine oxidase (vDAO), an enzyme proposed to relieve symptoms of histaminosis, shows better reactivity with histamine and aliphatic diamines, as well as higher enzymatic activity than DAO of animal origin. The objective of this study was to evaluate the enzyme activity of vDAO from germinating grains from Lathyrus sativus (grass pea) and Pisum sativum (pea), and to verify the presence of a neurotoxin, β-N-Oxalyl-L-α,β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP), in the crude extract obtained from their seedlings. A targeted liquid chromatography–multiple-reaction monitoring mass spectrometry method was developed and used to quantify β-ODAP in the analysed extracts. An optimized sample preparation procedure, involving protein precipitation with acetonitrile followed by mixed-anion exchange solid-phase extraction, allowed for high sensitivity and good peak shape for β-ODAP detection. The Lathyrus sativus extract exhibited the highest vDAO enzyme activity of the extracts, followed by the extract from pea cultivar Amarillo from the Crop Development Centre (CDC). The results have also shown that even though β-ODAP was present in the crude extract from L. sativus, its content was far below the toxicity threshold (300 mg of β-ODAP/kg body/day). CDC Amarillo showed 5000-fold less β-ODAP than the undialysed L. sativus extract. It was concluded that both species can be considered as convenient sources of vDAO for potential therapeutic use. Full article

Grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.), a legume crop with excellent resistance to a broad array of environmental stressors, has, to this point, been poorly genetically characterized. High-density genetic linkage maps are critical for draft genome assembly, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) analysis, and gene mining. The lack of a high-density genetic linkage map has limited both genomic studies and selective breeding in grasspea. Here, we developed a high-density genetic linkage map of grasspea using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) to sequence 154 grasspea plants, comprising 2 parents and 152 F₂ progeny. In all, 307.74 Gb of data was produced, including 2,108,910,938 paired-end reads, as well as 3536 SNPs mapped to seven linkage groups (LG1–LG7). With an average length of 996.52 cM per LG, the overall genetic distance was 6975.68 cM. Both the χ² test and QTL analysis, based on the Kruskal–Wallis (KW) test and interval mapping (IM) analysis, revealed the monogenic inheritance of flower color in grasspea, with the responsible QTL located between 308.437 cM and 311.346 cM in LG4. The results can aid grasspea genome assembly and accelerate the selective breeding of new grasspea germplasm resources. Full article

ODAP (N-oxalyl-L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid) is present in the seeds of grass pea. In this study, variation of total ODAP accumulation in leaves throughout the crop growth starting from 40 days after sowing to maturity, and the distribution pattern of ODAP in different plant parts including the seeds at the mature stage was analyzed. Five grass pea accessions were evaluated for two subsequent growing seasons in one location of ICARDA, Aleppo (Syria). The results found that the rate of accumulation of total ODAP varied during plant development. Increased rates of synthesis were noticed in young leaves of grass pea. The highest total ODAP content in leaves was noted in the early growth stage (40–50 days after sowing). Mean total ODAP content in leaves ranged from 0.17 to 0.96 percent during 2010–2011 and from 0.19 to 1.28 percent during 2011–2012. During maturity, the total ODAP content was lowest in the seeds than in leaves, stems, pod cover, seed coat, and cotyledons. The ranges of total ODAP content were 0.13 (seed)–0.34 (stem), 0.20 (seed)–1.01 (leaf), 0.22 (seed)–0.62 (leaf), 0.21 (seed)–0.66 (leaf), and 0.21 (seed)–0.78 (leaf) percent in B387, B222, B390, Bio-520, and B587 accessions, respectively, during maturity. The results indicated that the rate of accumulation and synthesis of total ODAP varied during the plant lifespan. The lowest total ODAP content of leaves was observed after 130 days of sowing. The lower total ODAP content after the early vegetative stage of grass pea plants makes them suitable as a feed. Full article

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is an annual cool-season grain legume widely cultivated in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and in the Mediterranean region. It is a stress-resilient crop with high nutritional value, considered a promising source of traits to breed for adaptation/mitigation of climate change effects. It is also reported as a suitable crop for more sustainable production systems such as intercropping. In this review, we elaborate an integrative perspective including not only an agronomic-based but also a variety-breeding-based strategy in grass pea to deal with climate change impacts, summarizing the current knowledge on grass pea biotic/abiotic stress resistance. Additionally, we highlight the importance of implementing fundamental techniques to create diversity (as interspecific hybridization or gene editing) and increase genetic gains (as speed breeding or the efficient identification of breeding targets via genomics) in the development of multiple stress-resistant varieties that simultaneously provide yield and quality stability under climate vulnerable environments. Full article