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Die Deutsche Telekom AG (DT) bietet ein breites Portfolio an fuhrenden Smart-City-Losungen in Europa und gestaltet die Entwicklung intelligenter Stadte und Regionen aktiv mit. Die vielfaltigen Innovationsaktivitaten basieren auf einem tiefen Verstandnis der Bedurfnisse von Burgern und Stadten unterschiedlicher Grose, wirtschaftlicher und sozialer Situation sowie unterschiedlicher Digitalisierungsgrade. Mit der neuen dedizierten Smart-City-Geschaftseinheit und starken Kooperationen untermauert die DT ihre fuhrende Rolle im Kontext Smart City mit dem Ziel, Kommunen im urbanen und landlichen Raum auf dem Weg in die digitale Zukunft vertrauensvoll und professionell zur begleiten.

Stemphylium blight is an important fungal disease of lentil caused by Stemphylium botryosum. It occurs in all major lentil growing regions of the world, including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Syria, USA and Canada. As lentil production in Australia is increasing, stemphylium blight is considered a potential threat to the industry. However, information on this pathogen and resistance levels in Australian lentil germplasm is limited. Five fungicides were tested for efficacy against seven isolates of Stemphylium botryosum. Mancozeb and thiram were the most effective in inhibiting the growth of the pathogen under in-vitro conditions. To prevent a disease outbreak, it is prudent to screen germplasm to eliminate stemphylium blight susceptible lines from the breeding program prior to release. Therefore, a screening method for evaluating stemphylium blight resistance in lentil was developed for use under controlled environment conditions. Using this method, stemphylium blight disease ratings were provided on all current Australian lentil varieties. In addition, screening of advanced breeding lines showed variation in resistance/susceptibility for this disease and allowed selection of resistant lines for stemphylium blight resistance breeding. Seven International lentil varieties were tested against Australian isolates of S. botryosum and showed varying levels of resistance. Three hundred lentil accessions obtained from the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) were evaluated and six accessions were identified with higher resistance than the resistant check ILL6002 that could be used in lentil breeding for stemphylium blight resistance.

Soil physical, chemical and bio-geochemical properties of a back barrier island coastal marsh restored by low pressure hydraulic dredging were monitored and analyzed from 2005 to 2009. A 109 ha restored marsh located at Port Fourchon, Louisiana, was divided into five habitats based on elevation. The habitats were classified as high (knoll), flat (swale), upper intertidal, intertidal and open water (submerged soils). The higher habitats were created nearer the dredged material source by deposited dredged coarser sediment mainly sand and oyster shells in mounds. Material with higher clay and silt content in the slurry were found in the habitats located at greater distances from the dredged material source. Soil elemental contents were statistically significantly different among habitats. Soil redox potential was also significantly different among habitats with the higher elevations having more oxidized redox values. Soil elevation was a strong influence on soil physical and chemical properties for several years post construction. Uneven distribution of dredged materials during the construction phase resulted in distinct variation in elevation and soil properties and the conclusion was that marsh creation would be more effective if dredged materials were uniformly distributed.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is the third most economically important food legume in the world. Its yield potential is often limited by various biotic stresses, including fungal and viral diseases, insects, nematodes and parasitic weeds. Incorporating genetic resistance into cultivars is the most effective and economical way of controlling biotic stresses and this is a major objective in many breeding programs. Extensive searches for resistances have been conducted by screening commercial varieties, landraces and closely related species. Resistances to disease such as Ascochyta blight and Fusarium wilt have been identified and molecular tools are being used to increase the efficiency of gene transfer from wild species into chickpea elite genotypes. Quantitative trait loci for resistance genes have been located on linkage maps and molecular markers associated with these loci can potentially be used for efficient pyramiding of the traits. Significant chickpea genomic resources have been developed in order to investigate resistance genes. Such resources include an integrated genetic map, expressed sequence tag libraries, bacterial artificial chromosome libraries, microarrays and draft genome sequences. Although these resources have yet to be used to improve chickpea cultivars in the field, this is likely to change in the near future. These genomic resources, as well as high-resolution phenotyping tools and cutting-edge technologies such as next-generation sequencing, promise to increase efficiency as work to identify valuable candidate genes continues.

Field pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a cool-season legume that is cultivated worldwide for both human consumption and stockfeed. Genetic improvement is essential for enhanced crop production and management of field pea, especially to deliver superior varieties adapted to various biotic and abiotic stresses. A detailed understanding of the genetic basis of such stress tolerances is hence desirable. Genetic linkage maps based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers have been developed from two recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations generated by crossing phenotypically divergent parental genotypes. The Kaspa × Yarrum map contained 428 loci across 1910 cM, while the Kaspa × ps1771 map contained 451 loci across 1545 cM. Data from these maps were combined through bridging markers with those from previously published studies to generate a consensus structure including 2028 loci distributed across seven linkage groups (LGs), with a cumulative length of 2387 cM at an average density of one marker per 1.2 cM. Trait dissection of powdery mildew resistance was performed for both RIL populations, identifying a single genomic region of large magnitude in the same genomic region on Ps VI, which were inferred to correspond to the er1 gene. Equivalent studies of the Kaspa × ps1771 RIL population identified a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) for boron tolerance that coincided with the disease resistance-controlling locus, permitting strategies of co-selection for these desirable traits. Resequencing of the PsMLO1 candidate gene from resistant and susceptible genotypes allowed design and validation of a putative diagnostic marker for powdery mildew resistance. The availability of a highly saturated consensus map, linked markers for key biotic and abiotic stress tolerances and a diagnostic marker for the agronomically important er1 gene provide important resources for field pea molecular breeding programs.

Large-scale SNP discovery and dense genetic mapping in a lentil intraspecific cross permitted identification of a single chromosomal region controlling tolerance to boron toxicity, an important breeding objective. Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is a highly nutritious food legume crop that is cultivated world-wide. Until recently, lentil has been considered a genomic 'orphan' crop, limiting the feasibility of marker-assisted selection strategies in breeding programs. The present study reports on the identification of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from transcriptome sequencing data, utilisation of expressed sequence tag (EST)-derived simple sequence repeat (SSR) and SNP markers for construction of a gene-based genetic linkage map, and identification of markers in close linkage to major QTLs for tolerance to boron (B) toxicity. A total of 2,956 high-quality SNP markers were identified from a lentil EST database. Sub-sets of 546 SSRs and 768 SNPs were further used for genetic mapping of an intraspecific mapping population (Cassab × ILL2024) that exhibits segregation for B tolerance. Comparative analysis of the lentil linkage map with the sequenced genomes of Medicago truncatula Gaertn., soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) and Lotus japonicus L. indicated blocks of conserved macrosynteny, as well as a number of rearrangements. A single genomic region was found to be associated with variation for B tolerance in lentil, based on evaluation performed over 2 years. Comparison of flanking markers to genome sequences of model species (M. truncatula, soybean and Arabidopsis thaliana) identified candidate genes that are functionally associated with B tolerance, and could potentially be used for diagnostic marker development in lentil.

Ascochyta blight, caused by the fungus Ascochyta rabiei (Pass.) Labr., is a highly destructive disease of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) on a global basis, and exhibits considerable natural variation for pathogenicity. Different sources of ascochyta blight resistance are available within the cultivated species, suitable for pyramiding to improve field performance. Robust and closely linked genetic markers are desirable to facilitate this approach. A total of 4,654 simple sequence repeat (SSR) and 1,430 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were identified from a chickpea expressed sequence tag (EST) database. Subsets of 143 EST–SSRs and 768 SNPs were further used for validation and subsequent high-density genetic mapping of two intraspecific mapping populations (Lasseter × ICC3996 and S95362 × Howzat). Comparison of the linkage maps to the genome of Medicago truncatula revealed a high degree of conserved macrosynteny. Based on field evaluation of ascochyta blight incidence performed over 2 years, two genomic regions containing resistance determinants were identified in the Lasseter × ICC3996 family. In the S95362 × Howzat population, only one quantitative trait locus (QTL) region was identified for both phenotypic evaluation trials, which on the basis of bridging markers was deduced to coincide with one of the Lasseter × ICC3996 QTLs. Of the two QTL-containing regions identified in this study, one (ab_QTL1) was predicted to be in common with QTLs identified in prior studies, while the other (ab_QTL2) may be novel. Markers in close linkage to ascochyta blight resistance genes that have been identified in this study can be further validated and effectively implemented in chickpea breeding programs.

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is a major food and feed legume because of the high nutritional value of its seeds. The main objectives of faba bean breeding are to improve yield, disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, seed quality and other agronomic traits. The partial cross-pollinated nature of faba bean introduces both challenges and opportunities for population development and breeding. Breeding methods that are applicable to self-pollinated crops or open-pollinated crops are not highly suitable for faba bean. However, traditional breeding methods such as recurrent mass selection have been established in faba bean and used successfully in breeding for resistance to diseases. Molecular breeding strategies that integrate the latest innovations in genetics and genomics with traditional breeding strategies have many potential applications for future faba bean cultivar development. Hence, considerable efforts have been undertaken in identifying molecular markers, enriching genetic and genomic resources using high-throughput sequencing technologies and improving genetic transformation techniques in faba bean. However, the impact of research on practical faba bean breeding and cultivar release to farmers has been limited due to disconnects between research and breeding objectives and the high costs of research and implementation. The situation with faba bean is similar to other small crops and highlights the need for coordinated, collaborative research programs that interact closely with commercially focused breeding programs to ensure that technologies are implemented effectively.

Numerous sea oats (Uniola paniculata L.) plants are transplanted to Northern Gulf of Mexico beaches each year to reduce coastal erosion. To adapt to environmental changes and effectively reduce coastal erosion, genetically diverse sea oats plants with demonstrated plant performance must be used. The objectives of this study were to: (i) identify improved sea oats lines; and (ii) determine the genetic diversity of improved sea oats lines. From 2003 to 2005, 2,000 sea oats lines were evaluated in unreplicated field trials at natural beach sites. In 2005, 75 sea oats lines were selected based upon phenotypic performance. The 75 selected lines and 3 plants of ‘Caminada’, the only commercially available sea oats line, were evaluated in replicated field trials in 2008 and 2010. In 2008, UP01LA-15 K-HB-3092, UP01LA-16S-GP-3138, UP01LA-31-GP-3103, UP01LA-33-GP-1303, and UP01NC-04-HB-3374 had higher (p

Lentils ( Lens culinaris L.) are an important protein and carbohydrate food, rich in essential dietary components and trace elements. Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient for human health. For adults, 55 μg of daily Se intake is recommended for better health and cancer prevention. Millions of people around the world have Se-deficient diets and biofortification may be an effective solution. The total Se concentration of lentils grown in six major lentil-producing countries were analysed to determine the potential for Se biofortification in these regions. The highest Se concentrations based on location means were found in lentils from Nepal (180 μg/kg) and southern Australia (148 μg/kg) while the lowest were those from Syria (22 μg/kg), Morocco (28 μg/kg), northwestern USA (26 μg/kg), and Turkey (47 μg/kg). Significant location effects within a country were observed for Nepal and Australia. All values were lower than previous published data for Saskatchewan grown lentils (425–672 μg/kg). Lentils originating from Australia, Nepal, or Canada could be considered good sources of Se, as consumption of 50 g would provide 13–61% of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). Our findings indicate lentil may be appropriate as a target crop for Se biofortification and investigated as a food-based solution for populations with Se deficiencies.

Flow cytometry analysis showed variation of nuclear DNA content among different species of Spartina. Spartina alterniflora had the biggest genome (1763.9 Mbp) and S. cynosuroides had the smallest genome (756.35 Mbp), whereas the genomes of S. patens (969.36 Mbp) and S. spartinae (979.78 Mbp) were comparable. Mining simple sequence repeats (SSR) from 1227 expressed sequence tags (EST) generated from salt stressed S. alterniflora showed an abundance of di- and tri-nucleotide repeats. Of 100 ESSR (EST-derived SSR) loci with five or more repeats, 81 loci were successfully amplified in eight S. alterniflora genotypes and 15 (22.2%) ESSR markers were polymorphic. Eleven of the 15 polymorphic ESSRs showed amplification across six different species of Spartina while 100% cross transferability was observed with at least one species of Spartina. The average number of alleles per marker was 3.9 and 5.8 within S. alterniflora and among Spartina species, respectively. The ESSR markers discriminated different members within and between species of Spartina genus.

Seventy-two Spartina alterniflora accessions originating from four coastal Louisiana basins (18 accessions per basin) were used to evaluate the genetic structure of this native perennial low-intertidal plant species. The objective of this study was to determine the population genetic structure and diversity of S. alterniflora accessions originating from these four basins using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. A total of 250 unambiguous and highly repeatable AFLP markers, 186 of which (74.4%) were polymorphic, were obtained using four primer combinations. Overall, pairwise similarity estimates between accessions ranged from 0.70 to 0.93 (average = 0.80) with only a small portion of alleles (0.54–1.08%) unique to each basin. The average H s (genetic diversity within coastal basins) was 0.20 with an H s values of 0.19, 0.20, 0.20, and 0.21 for Mermentau, Terrebonne, Calcasieu, and Barataria-Breton basin, respectively. AMOVA analysis showed no genetic structure among basins, with the majority of genetic variation, 96.6%, residing within the basins. There was no indication of isolation by distance. Our results suggest that maintaining high levels of genetic diversity can be accomplished through the use of an adequate number of S. alterniflora samples collected within any large basin. Choosing parental lines from several Louisiana coastal basins for breeding purposes may not significantly increase genetic variability among the progeny lines.

Field pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a grain legume crop that is cultivated for either human or livestock consumption. Development of varieties adapted to damaging abiotic and biotic stresses is a major objective for field pea breeding. Bacterial blight is a serious disease caused by the pathogenic agents Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae and Pseudomonas syringae pv. pisi. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) genetic mapping population was generated by crossing the susceptible genotype Kaspa to the resistant genotype PBA Oura. Previously described sets of single-nucleotide polymorphism and simple sequence repeat markers were assigned to a genetic linkage map of the Kaspa × PBA Oura population, which contained 358 markers spanning 1070 cM with an average marker density of 1 locus per 3.0 cM. Combination with multiple previously published maps (including that of Kaspa × Parafield) subsequently generated an integrated structure with much higher marker density of 1 locus per 0.85 cM. The Kaspa × PBA Oura and Kaspa × Parafield RILs were screened at the seedling stage for resistance to both pathovars. Totals of four and two QTLs for resistance to infection by P. syringae pv. syringae were detected in the Kaspa × Parafield and Kaspa × PBA Oura populations, respectively. A single common genomic region associated with P. syringae pv. pisi resistance was identified in both mapping populations. To integrate information on bacterial blight resistance from various QTL mapping studies, the relevant regions were extrapolated on to the integrated map through use of common flanking markers. The resources generated in this study will support map enhancement, identification of marker-trait associations, genomics-assisted breeding, map-based gene isolation and comparative genetics.

The first predominantly gene-based genetic linkage map of lentil (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris) was constructed using an F5 population developed from a cross between the cultivars Digger (ILL5722) and Northfield (ILL5588) using 79 intron-targeted amplified polymorphic (ITAP) and 18 genomic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Linkage analysis revealed seven linkage groups (LGs) comprised of 5-25 markers that varied in length from 80.2 to 274.6 cM. The genome map spanned a total length of 928.4 cM. Clear evidence of a simple and direct macrosyntenic relationship between lentil and Medicago truncatula was observed. Sixty-six out of the 71 gene-based markers, which were previously assigned to M. truncatula genetic and physical maps, were found in regions syntenic between the Lens c. ssp. culinaris and M. truncatula genomes. However, there was evidence of moderate chromosomal rearrangements which may account for the difference in chromosome numbers between these two legume species. Eighteen common SSR markers were used to connect the current map with the most comprehensive and recent map that exists for lentil, providing the syntenic context of four important domestication traits. The composite map presented, anchored with orthologous markers mapped in M. truncatula, provides a strong foundation for the future use of genomic and genetic information in lentil genetic analysis and breeding.

For lentil production to expand further in Australia, adaptation to the less favourable soils of the low to medium rainfall zones is required. To improve adaptation to these regions, varieties are required with increased tolerance to soil constraints such as high concentrations of boron (B), salinity and sodicity. To evaluate the range of B tolerance in lentil germplasm, 310 lines were screened in soil with a high concentration of B and tolerance was assessed at the seedling stage. A wide range in response to high concentrations of soil B was observed in the germplasm tested. Current Australian varieties were generally very intolerant to high concentrations of soil B. High levels of B tolerance was identified in germplasm originating from Afghanistan and Ethiopia. A subsequent experiment comparing lentils with different levels of B tolerance found that tolerant accessions (ILL213A and ILL2024) produced greater above and below ground biomass than intolerant accessions. The tolerant accessions had no significant yield loss under a high B treatment (extractable B = 18.20 mg/kg) compared to the control treatment (extractable B = 1.55 mg/kg). The large improvement in B tolerance, at soil concentrations typical of those found in the target regions, suggests there is potential to improve the tolerance level of adapted varieties and expand lentil production areas to regions with higher concentrations of soil B.

Uniola paniculata, commonly known as sea oats, is a C4 perennial grass capable of stabilizing sand dunes. It is most abundant along the Gulf of Mexico and southeastern Atlantic coastal regions of the United States. The species exhibits low seed set and low rates of germination and seedling emergence, and so extensive clonal reproduction is achieved through production of rhizomes, which may contribute to a decline in genetic diversity. To date, there has been no systematic assessment of genetic variability and population structure in naturally occurring stands in the USA. This study was conducted to assess the genetic relationship and diversity among nineteen U. paniculata accessions representing eight states: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). Twelve AFLP EcoRI + MseI primer combinations generated a wide range of polymorphisms (42-81%) with a mean of 59%. Overall, the sea oats plants exhibited a low range of genetic similarity. Florida accessions, FL-33 and FL-39, were most genetically diverse and the accessions from both Carolinas and Virginia (NC-1, NC-11, SC-15, and VA-53) harbored less genetic variability. Cluster analysis using the UPGMA approach separated U. paniculata plants into four major clusters which were also confirmed by principal coordinate analysis (PCO). Further examination of the different components of genetic variation by analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated the largest proportion of variability at the state level (47.8%) followed by the variation due to the differences among the genotypes within an accession (34.4%), and the differences among the accessions within a state (17.8%). The relationship between genetic diversity and geographic source of sea oats populations of the United States as revealed through this comprehensive study will be helpful to resource managers and commercial nurseries in identifying suitable plant materials for restoration of new areas without compromising the adaptation and genetic diversity.

Background Field pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a self-pollinating, diploid, cool-season food legume. Crop production is constrained by multiple biotic and abiotic stress factors, including salinity, that cause reduced growth and yield. Recent advances in genomics have permitted the development of low-cost high-throughput genotyping systems, allowing the construction of saturated genetic linkage maps for identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with traits of interest. Genetic markers in close linkage with the relevant genomic regions may then be implemented in varietal improvement programs. Results In this study, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers associated with expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were developed and used to generate comprehensive linkage maps for field pea. From a set of 36,188 variant nucleotide positions detected through in silico analysis, 768 were selected for genotyping of a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population. A total of 705 SNPs (91.7%) successfully detected segregating polymorphisms. In addition to SNPs, genomic and EST-derived simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were assigned to the genetic map in order to obtain an evenly distributed genome-wide coverage. Sequences associated with the mapped molecular markers were used for comparative genomic analysis with other legume species. Higher levels of conserved synteny were observed with the genomes of Medicago truncatula Gaertn. and chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) than with soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.), Lotus japonicus L. and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan [L.] Millsp.). Parents and RIL progeny were screened at the seedling growth stage for responses to salinity stress, imposed by addition of NaCl in the watering solution at a concentration of 18 dS m-1. Salinity-induced symptoms showed normal distribution, and the severity of the symptoms increased over time. QTLs for salinity tolerance were identified on linkage groups Ps III and VII, with flanking SNP markers suitable for selection of resistant cultivars. Comparison of sequences underpinning these SNP markers to the M. truncatula genome defined genomic regions containing candidate genes associated with saline stress tolerance. Conclusion The SNP assays and associated genetic linkage maps developed in this study permitted identification of salinity tolerance QTLs and candidate genes. This constitutes an important set of tools for marker-assisted selection (MAS) programs aimed at performance enhancement of field pea cultivars.

Increasing crop productivity to meet burgeoning human food demand is challenging under changing environmental conditions. Since industrial revolution atmospheric CO(2) levels have linearly increased. Developing crop varieties with increased utilization of CO(2) for photosynthesis is an urgent requirement to cope with the irreversible rise of atmospheric CO(2) and achieve higher food production. The primary effects of elevated CO(2) levels in most crop plants, particularly C(3) plants, include increased biomass accumulation, although initial stimulation of net photosynthesis rate is only temporal and plants fail to sustain the maximal stimulation, a phenomenon known as photosynthesis acclimation. Despite this acclimation, grain yield is known to marginally increase under elevated CO(2). The yield potential of C(3) crops is limited by their capacity to exploit sufficient carbon. The "C fertilization" through elevated CO(2) levels could potentially be used for substantial yield increase. Rubisco is the rate-limiting enzyme in photosynthesis and its activity is largely affected by atmospheric CO(2) and nitrogen availability. In addition, maintenance of the C/N ratio is pivotal for various growth and development processes in plants governing yield and seed quality. For maximizing the benefits of elevated CO(2), raising plant nitrogen pools will be necessary as part of maintaining an optimal C/N balance. In this review, we discuss potential causes for the stagnation in yield increases under elevated CO(2) levels and explore possibilities to overcome this limitation by improved photosynthetic capacity and enhanced nitrogen use efficiency. Opportunities of engineering nitrogen uptake, assimilatory, and responsive genes are also discussed that could ensure optimal nitrogen allocation toward expanding source and sink tissues. This might avert photosynthetic acclimation partially or completely and drive for improved crop production under elevated CO(2) levels.

Genetic resources, mainly in ex situ genebanks, have an important role in the adaptation of agriculture to climate change. There is an urgent need to collect traditional landraces where they are still grown across diverse environments, to access genes with tolerance of abiotic stresses and resistance to biotic stresses. The genetic diversity in wild relatives of crops is also under threat due to loss of habitats as the population pressures on agricultural land increases. Yet this diversity is often wider than in domestic crops for addressing the new challenges of climate change. This will result in increased incidence of drought, high temperature stress, frost associated with lower rainfall, and increased levels of CO2 in most temperate agricultural zones. A combination of genetic and farm management solutions will be needed. Disease incidence and severity will also be affected. The seriousness of most fungal diseases except Rhizoctonia is likely to be less with the expected warmer and drier conditions, however in areas with wetter conditions powdery mildew in peas, Schlerotinia moulds and Phytophtera may be more important. Climate change may favour the build up of aphid vectors, with potential increase in viral diseases. Especially for viral and bacterail pathogens, the sourcing of genetic resistance will be important. Wild relatives of crops (although unknown for faba bean), and marker assisted selection, will be important for breeding resistance to Aschochyta, Botrytis, anthracnose, powdery and downy mildew, and for the many soil borne diseases. Continued breeding for resistances to an imposing array of viruses will be required, with assitance from biotechnology.

This chapter describes the production environments; phenological adaptation to the environment; flowering response to photoperiod and temperature; and the impact of abiotic stresses (water availability, waterlogging, temperature, nutrient toxicity including salinity and sodicity, and mineral deficiency), diseases, and management (sowing time, weed control, and harvesting method) on adaptation of lentil. Improvement of adaptation through understanding genotype by environment interactions in lentil is discussed. To improve adaptation, the key traits that facilitate increased production (level and reliability of seed production), farming system benefit and price (quality of seed), or reduce cost must be identified, quantified and addressed through improved production technology and breeding. More specifically, profitability is a culmination of a species interaction with the environment, in particular the quantity and distribution of rainfall and temperature which influences the length of growing season, soil characteristics and biotic stresses, and cultural practices. Farming system benefits include those involved with rotation, such as providing a disease break or improving soil nutrition, weed management, and the timing and simplicity of total farm operation.

Through fixing their own nitrogen, growing lentils offers a substantial saving in the need to use fossil fuels to generate fixed nitrogen for agricultural production. Much of the nitrogen fixed by the lentil crop may then be available for subsequent crops in the rotation as crop residues break down. Estimates for the contribution of N to soils by lentils are generally in the order of 20 kg N ha−1yr−1. However, the level of N fixed by lentils varies considerably, spatially and temporally in response to a host of environmental and ecological factors. Lentils require effective infection by Rhizobium leguminosarum in order to fix nitrogen. This infection process could fail due to a number of reasons including a lack of or inappropriate strains of rhizobia, failure of the plant to invest in the symbiosis, or through altered metabolism. While conditionsthat suit better growth of the lentil crop will normally enhance the nitrogen fixation of the crop there may also be specific situations in which the fixation process is more sensitive and fixation limits the growth of the crop

Lentil is a self-pollinating diploid (2n=14 chromosomes) annual cool season grain legume produced as a high protein food source throughout the world. Several lentil genome maps are available and recent progress towards a consensus map has been made by employing robust locus markers that are derived from the model legume Medicago truncatula and other legume genomes. Such markers are co-dominant and will likely be useful across a broad lentil genetic background for marker-assisted trait selection. Candidate trait-associated genes are under investigation, particularly for disease resistance, and these are soon likely to become available for validation against pathogen populations and in differing environments using transgenic approaches. For this, reliable transformation systems have been developed. However, further effort is required to develop a robust and high-throughput full regeneration system for transformant lentil plants. The near future of Lensomics will include further candidate gene characterisation through transcriptome and reverse genetic techniques. These studies will be conducted to uncover genes responsive to biotic and abiotic stimuli as well as those governing desirable seed quality traits, such as size, shape and colour. Furthermore, proteomic and metabolomic approaches will be employed to derive information on the functional mechanisms involved

Lentil has been an important source of protein in many countries where it has been grown for many centuries. In traditional growing regions, lentils are often grown with little or no inputs like fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides on small farms to supply food for the local people. Production and profitability on these farms contrasts with that on farms in more developed countries where lentils have only been grown for a short period and is export orientated

Lentil breeding has a relatively short history, however, since the inception of the ICARDA breeding program in 1977 substantial gains have been made in overcoming regional bottlenecks in germplasm diversity. This program has since been supplemented by breeding programs in both developing (eg India) and developed countries (Australia and Canada). These programs have had substantial success in improving tolerance to both biotic (disease) and abiotic stress as well as improving regional adaptation. The Australian breeding program is detailed indicating differences and similarities with other programs. In recent years the need to concurrently develop agronomic approaches and breeding has lead to a greater collaboration among breeders and agronomists

Lentils are a major international pulse crop (4 million Ha harvested in 2005). However, they fall well behind the major cereal and oilseed crops in planted area as well as behind the other pulse crops of peas, chickpeas and beans. Yields tend to be low (global mean of approximately 0.8 t/ha over the last 16 years) with 95% of the crop raingrown. There are three major areas of production N America, the Indian sub continent and Turkey. There are other areas of production in Australia, Iran, Syria and China. Between them these areas account for over 90% of global production. There are two major groups red (70–80%) and green lentils with Canada being the largest global producer of green lentils. Lentil production in the developing world is relatively static while the population in South Asia, where most lentils are consumed, has been rapidly increasing. This has left countries such as India with a very low supply per head of population. This deficit has to be made up by increases in world trade. The major world player in lentil exports is Canada which in 2005 exported 576,000 t. Other major exporters in the same year were Turkey (118,000 t), Australia (108,000 t) the United States of America (160,000 t). Most importing countries import relatively small quantities from a number of countries. In 2004 the largest lentil importers were Bangladesh (110,000 t), Sri Lanka (93,000 t), Egypt (89,000 t) and Colombia (63,000 t). A recent nine month ban by India on lentil exports has lead to a sharp increase in their price on the world market. In the past some countries, such as Turkey, imported lentils from Canada, processed them, and then re-exported them

The cool-season grain legume industry in Australia, comprising field pea (Pisum sativum L.), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), faba bean (Vicia faba L.), lentil (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris Medik.), and narrow-leaf lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.), has emerged in the last 40 years to occupy a significant place in cropping systems. The development of all major grain legume crops—including field pea, which has been grown for over 100 years—has been possible through large amounts of genetic resources acquired and utilised in breeding. Initially, several varieties were released directly from these imports, but the past 25 years of grain legume breeding has recombined traits for adaptation and yield for various growing regions. Many fungal disease threats have been addressed through resistant germplasm, with varying successes. Some threats, e.g. black spot in field pea caused by Mycosphaerella pinodes (Berk. and Blox.) Vestergr., require continued exploration of germplasm and new technology. The arrival of ascochyta blight in chickpea in Australia threatened to destroy the chickpea industry of southern Australia, but thanks to resistant germplasm, it is now on its way to recovery. Many abiotic stresses including drought, heat, salinity, and soil nutritional toxicities continue to challenge the expansion of the grain legume area, but recent research shows that genetic variation in the germplasm may offer new solutions. Just as the availability of genetic resources has been key to successfully addressing many challenges in the past two decades, so it will assist in the future, including adapting to climate change. The acquisition of grain legume germplasm from overseas is a direct result of several Australians who fostered collaborations leading to new collection missions enriching the germplasm base for posterity.

Lentil (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris) is consumed in many countries as a rich source of protein in largely vegetarian diets. Australia grows lentil as a cash crop in rotation with cereal and produces predominantly red lentils that are exported throughout the world, particularly to countries in South Asia and the Middle East. Differentiation of varieties is important when exporting products to such markets, maintaining variety purity during seed production and in the collection of end-point royalties. Lentil-specific and fluorescent sequenced tagged microsatellite markers (STMS) markers were used to construct a DNA fingerprint database for 10 Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris genotypes (Northfield, Digger, ILL7537, Nugget, Indianhead, ILL2024, ILL6788, Palouse, Nipper and Boomer) that represent major new cultivars and key breeding lines within the Australian breeding program. All 10 lentil genotypes were distinguished using the assessed STMS loci. Unique alleles were observed for several lines, including Boomer and Nipper, varieties recently released in Australia. This database will play an important role in seed typing for commercial export certification and the commercial management of cultivars.

Background Lentil is a self-pollinated annual diploid (2n = 2× = 14) crop with a restricted history of genetic improvement through breeding, particularly when compared to cereal crops. This limited breeding has probably contributed to the narrow genetic base of local cultivars, and a corresponding potential to continue yield increases and stability. Therefore, knowledge of genetic variation and relationships between populations is important for understanding of available genetic variability and its potential for use in breeding programs. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers provide a method for rapid automated genotyping and subsequent data analysis over large numbers of samples, allowing assessment of genetic relationships between genotypes. Results In order to investigate levels of genetic diversity within lentil germplasm, 505 cultivars and landraces were genotyped with 384 genome-wide distributed SNP markers, of which 266 (69.2%) obtained successful amplification and detected polymorphisms. Gene diversity and PIC values varied between 0.108-0.5 and 0.102-0.375, with averages of 0.419 and 0.328, respectively. On the basis of clarity and interest to lentil breeders, the genetic structure of the germplasm collection was analysed separately for cultivars and landraces. A neighbour-joining (NJ) dendrogram was constructed for commercial cultivars, in which lentil cultivars were sorted into three major groups (G-I, G-II and G-III). These results were further supported by principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and STRUCTURE, from which three clear clusters were defined based on differences in geographical location. In the case of landraces, a weak correlation between geographical origin and genetic relationships was observed. The landraces from the Mediterranean region, predominantly Greece and Turkey, revealed very high levels of genetic diversity. Conclusions Lentil cultivars revealed clear clustering based on geographical origin, but much more limited correlation between geographic origin and genetic diversity was observed for landraces. These results suggest that selection of divergent parental genotypes for breeding should be made actively on the basis of systematic assessment of genetic distance between genotypes, rather than passively based on geographical distance. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12863-014-0150-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Ascochyta blight, caused by the fungus Ascochyta fabae Speg., is a common and destructive disease of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) on a global basis. Yield losses vary from typical values of 35–40% to 90% under specific environmental conditions. Several sources of resistance have been identified and used in breeding programs. However, introgression of the resistance gene determinants into commercial cultivars as a gene pyramiding approach is reliant on selection of closely linked genetic markers. A total of 14,552 base variants were identified from a faba bean expressed sequence tag (EST) database, and were further quality assessed to obtain a set of 822 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Sub-sets of 336 EST-derived simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and 768 SNPs were further used for high-density genetic mapping of a biparental faba bean mapping population (Icarus × Ascot) that segregates for resistance to ascochyta blight. The linkage map spanned a total length of 1216.8 cM with 12 linkage groups (LGs) and an average marker interval distance of 2.3 cM. Comparison of map structure to the genomes of closely related legume species revealed a high degree of conserved macrosynteny, as well as some rearrangements. Based on glasshouse evaluation of ascochyta blight resistance performed over two years, four genomic regions controlling resistance were identified on Chr-II, Chr-VI and two regions on Chr-I.A. Of these, one (QTL-3) may be identical with quantitative trait loci (QTLs) identified in prior studies, while the others (QTL-1, QTL-2 and QTL-4) may be novel. Markers in close linkage to ascochyta blight resistance genes identified in this study can be further validated and effectively implemented in faba bean breeding programs.