Climate Resilience
WP3: Building climate-resilient legumes through genetic improvement.
WP3 Overview
Extreme weather is already impacting UK farming. Heatwaves, droughts, and unpredictable rainfall can hit pulse crops hard, reducing yields and making production less reliable.
This work package combines genetic research with climate modelling to anticipate future challenges. The Met Office will model likely UK weather patterns and identify climate risks during vulnerable crop growth stages. Using this information, WP3 will screen diversity panels and apply genomics to uncover genetic variation in pulse germplasm, identifying traits that improve resilience to stresses such as drought, high temperatures, and waterlogging.
WP3 aims to:
- Screen germplasm for drought and heat tolerance, focusing on traits like root architecture and reproductive success.
Identify genetic markers for resilience, enabling breeders to select climate-smart traits more efficiently.
This research will help breeders develop varieties better adapted to future conditions, supporting reliable pulse production in the UK.
Climate modelling for UK legumes
WP3 works with the Met Office to model future climate scenarios and assess risks for legume crops. This includes identifying hazards like heat stress, drought, and waterlogging, and pinpointing vulnerable stages in the crop calendar.
Why it matters: Understanding future risks helps breeders plan and select for resilience.
Drought and heat tolerance in faba bean
We’ll screen a large diversity panel of faba bean lines under controlled and semi-natural conditions to identify traits linked to drought and heat tolerance. Promising lines will undergo detailed physiological studies to understand how they cope with stress.
Why it matters: Faba bean is a major UK pulse crop – building resilience ensures stable yields under changing conditions.
Drought and root traits in pea and lentil
Root architecture plays a key role in drought tolerance. WP3 will screen pea and lentil panels for root traits and drought response, using advanced imaging and GWAS to identify genetic markers for breeding.
Why it matters: Better root systems mean better water uptake and improved survival during dry spells.
Genetics of heat tolerance in pea
Heat stress during flowering can cause pod drop and yield loss. WP3 will screen pea germplasm for heat tolerance traits like pollen viability and thermotolerance, and map the underlying genes.
Why it matters: Heat-tolerant varieties will help secure pea production in warmer future climates.