Horse beans are the new soybean for cooler climates in Europe

Published 2023년 3월 13일

Tridge summary

An international research team has successfully sequenced the genome of fava beans, a significant breakthrough due to the crop's large genome size. This achievement is anticipated to facilitate the identification of genes to enhance crop characteristics, such as seed size. Fava beans, also known as horse beans, are gaining popularity as a sustainable source of protein for vegetarian and vegan diets, especially in Northern Europe. Their ability to fix nitrogen from the air needs less fertilizer, making them an environmentally friendly alternative to soybeans, which Europe heavily imports. This development could potentially reduce reliance on imported proteins and contribute to a greener bioeconomy.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

An international team of researchers was able to read the entire genome of fava beans and benefit immediately by finding a key gene for seed size, a critical trait for crop production. Horse beans, also called faba beans, are an ancient protein crop that is now experiencing a rebirth in the market for vegetable meat substitutes. However, the fava bean's huge genome - four times the size of a human and 30 times that of rice - has previously been impossible to read in its entirety, hindering efforts by scientists and breeders to find genes to improve crops. Using cutting-edge technology, an international team of researchers led by experts from the Universities of Helsinki, Aarhus (Denmark) and Reading (UK) and the Natural Resources Institute of Finland have recently managed to read and assemble the entire faba bean genome and isolate the key gene for seed size. “Improved Faba beans will contribute to a green bioeconomy by promoting sustainable food systems. In order to meet the ...

Source: Agroxxi