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BACKGROUND Several studies have shown that grain amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) is tolerant to abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity. Irrigation applied only during sensitive growth stages can stabilize yield and improve water use efficiency. Given the increasing frequency of salinity and drought stress in European countries and the scarcity of information on grain amaranth responses to combined salt and drought stress, an open field trial was carried out in Italy in order to evaluate the response of one accession of Amaranthus hypochondriacus to various irrigation strategies. RESULTS: Grain amaranth yield components were not negatively affected either by different irrigation volumes or by irrigation time. Some differences in seed yield were caused by water quality; salinity significantly reduced seed yield. The combined effect of irrigation time and irrigation volume significantly influenced seed yield. The quality of amaranth seeds was preserved; no significant differences due to simple or combined stresses were found during the three‐year field experiment. CONCLUSIONS: The overall results from this study suggest that A. hypochondriacus can be cultivated in a more sustainable way compared to other protein crops, thus reducing water use and using saline water. It could be introduced to marginal European environments where traditional crops cannot be cultivated. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is a popular legume crop in the Mediterranean region, widely grown for its nutritious seeds and improving soil fertility. Lentil yield is a critical and challenging trait for crop genetic improvement because it is influenced by various factors that have detrimental effects on seed yields and seed quality traits. This research was carried out in Italy between 2017 and 2019 to identify high-performing stable genotypes presenting multiple desirable traits and to assess the seed quality of 13 lentil accessions in the field. According to the results of the multi-trait stability index (MTSI), (1) only three accessions (Altamura, Easton, and Caltagirone) fared better in various environmental conditions, and (2) the selected accessions had strength toward seed yield (SY), above-ground biomass (AGB), and 1000-seed weight (THS). The genotype × environment interaction (GEI) effects were highly significant for all traits. During the third growing season, most lentil accessions were sensitive to frost. There was no correlation between lentil seed yield and protein concentration. The MTSI is a useful tool for breeders interested in selecting accessions based on their mean performance and stability, as well as desirable traits and minimum multicollinearity issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important cool-season food legume crop that is mainly cultivated as a rainfed crop. This study was conducted in Italy between 2017 and 2019 to evaluate the stability of seed yield (SY), biomass (AGB) and 1000 seed weight (THS), and to assess the seed quality of 12 kabuli chickpea accessions under field conditions. The likelihood-ratio test revealed significant effects of genotype only for the SY and THS. The environment and genotype × environment interaction (GEI) effects were highly significant for all variables. We found that the environment (year) and GEI explain 55.72% and 20.87% of the total seed yield variation, respectively. Most chickpea accessions showed sensitivity to frost conditions in the third growing season. No relationship was observed between the yield and the protein content in Kabuli chickpea. Among the accessions, Ares and Reale showed the best performance under all environmental conditions, and the Reale was the most stable chickpea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]