Application of different methodologies in lentil (lens culinaris medik) breeding

Abstract

La lenteja es un cultivo muy importante desde el comienzo de la revolución de la agricultura en el Viejo Mundo y uno de los primeros en ser domesticados junto al trigo, la cebada, la arveja y el lino. Se lo considera como uno de los cultivos más antiguos con unos 8000 a 9000 años de antigüedad. Desde el punto de vista nutricional posee un alto valor proteico (20-30%), alto contenido de carbohidratos (43-70%) y es una fuente rica en fibra dietética, antioxidantes, vitaminas y minerales esenciales en la dieta. En Argentina, la principal región productora se ubica al sur de Santa Fe (Departamentos de Caseros, Constitución, Rosario y San Lorenzo) y al norte de Buenos Aires (Partidos de Pergamino, Rojas y Salto). Aquí el cultivo se hace en forma extensiva, de secano y durante el invierno, y luego de la cosecha, se realiza la siembra de soja de segunda. El objetivo de este trabajo es realizar una compilación de las diferentes metodologías utilizadas en el mejoramiento de lenteja.

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is a self-pollinating diploid (2n=2x=14) species belonging to the Fabaceae family. It is one of the oldest crops known, with 8,000 to 9,000 years of history and it is among the earliest domesticates from the Near East Fertile Crescent. The seeds have high nutritional value. This crop is an interesting substitute to wheat in cereal rotations but its importance is low due to a lack of suitable varieties with local adaptation. Some of the major problems that Argentinian lentil breeders face are the narrow genetic base of the current cultivated germplasm and its low yield potential. A lentil breeding program was initiated in 2004 to develop new varieties with adaptation to prevalent conditions in growing areas of Argentina. Germplasm was obtained from ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas) and local producers. Conventional breeding methods using hybridization and selection are being carried out to develop improved varieties, broad the genetic base, and isolate superior recombinant inbred lines. Two new varieties have been obtained, one of the macrosperm type (Boyerito FCA) and the other of the microsperm type (Tacuarita FCA) through the application of mass selection in F2 populations from the cross of selected materials. This program complements traditional breeding methods with biotechnological techniques such as transgenesis, use of molecular markers, in vitro embryo culture combined with the SSD method to shorten the breeding time, and digital phenotyping.