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© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia L. Willd.) is an ancient Mediterranean legume, well adapted to dry climates, that has recently gained attention for its potential in organic farming and as a suitable source of bioactive compounds. This study analyzed the agrobiological variability of 12 bitter vetch accessions from the IPGR-Sadovo genebank in two-year field trials. Yield-related traits were recorded, and grains were assessed for protein, sugar, starch, free amino acids, phenols, and antitrypsin content. Statistical analyses included variance, correlation, cluster, principal component, and path-coefficient methods. Significant variation was observed in plant branching, pod and grain numbers, and grain weight per plant. Grain yield correlated strongly with pod number (r = 0.910**), grains per pod (r = 0.867**) and per plant (r = 0.965**), and pod size. Positive direct effects on grain yield had the traits germination−50% flowering, number of seeds per plant, height to first pod, and harvest index. An indirect impact was found for the number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, and seed starch content. Accessions formed four main clusters. BGR6207, B9E0168, and C3000003 showed high yield potential. C3000001, C3000003, C3000007, and C3000006 exhibited early maturity. C3E0118, C3000007, and C3000003 seeds had lower amounts of phenols. BGR13526 presented lower protein and antitrypsin but higher carbohydrate and phenol levels. Tolerance to moderate osmotic stress (150 mM NaCl or 10% Polyethylene glycol 6000) varied. BGR3052, BGR13526, and A3BM0178 were found to be resistant to both stressors, while accessions C3000001 and C3000007 were identified as sensitive to both adversities. C3000006 was determined as sensitive to salinity but resistant to drought, and BGR3051and C3000003 were relatively sensitive to drought but resistant to salinity. Root elongation and thinning were observed in half of the accessions as adaptive responses to stress. These findings highlight some of the advantages of the evaluated bitter vetch accessions for breeding and reintroduction into sustainable agricultural practices.

Details

Title
Phenotypic Diversity and Abiotic Stress Tolerance Among Vicia ervilia (L.) Willd. Accessions
Author
Petrova, Sofiya 1 ; Stoilova, Tsvetelina 1 ; Velinov, Valentin 2 ; Vaseva, Irina I 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Simova-Stoilova, Lyudmila 2 

 Institute of Plant Genetic Resources “Konstantin Malkov” (IPGR), Agricultural Academy, Druzhba 2, 4122 Sadovo, Bulgaria; [email protected] (S.P.); [email protected] (T.S.) 
 Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. Bl 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; [email protected] (V.V.); [email protected] (I.I.V.) 
First page
1008
Publication year
2025
Publication date
2025
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
22237747
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3188833699
Copyright
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.