# Allelic variation at a single locus distinguishes spring and winter faba beans

## TL;DR

Researchers identified a key genetic variant that distinguishes winter and spring faba beans, helping improve understanding of winter hardiness in this important protein crop.

## Contribution

A major winter hardiness locus was identified, explaining most phenotypic variation and differentiating between winter and spring faba bean types.

## Key findings

- An improved faba bean reference genome was developed.
- A major locus for winter hardiness was identified through genome-wide association analysis.
- Additional genetic signals for improving winter hardiness were found in the winter faba bean gene pool.

## Abstract

Winter faba beans exhibit significant yield advantages over spring cultivars and hold promise for enhancing local protein production and agricultural sustainability. However, the threat of winter kill limits wider cultivation, and the genetics of faba bean winter hardiness remain unresolved. Here we develop a greatly improved faba bean reference genome and combine this with resequencing and phenotyping of winter and spring accessions to identify genetic determinants of winter hardiness. Genome-wide association analysis of frost tolerance traits identifies a major winter hardiness locus, the most strongly associated variant of which explains the vast majority of phenotypic variation and accurately differentiates between winter and spring types. Furthermore, we identify additional signals within the winter faba bean gene pool that could lead to further improvement of winter hardiness. Our work provides improved genomic resources and resolves the genetics of a key agronomic trait in a global protein crop to facilitate future breeding efforts.

An improved faba bean reference genome and resequencing of winter and spring faba bean accessions identify genetic determinants of winter hardiness.