Exploration of the yield potential of mesoamerican wild common beans from contrasting eco-geographic regions by nested recombinant inbred populations

Genetic analyzes and utilization of wild genetic variation in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) for crop improvement have been hampered by evaluation difficulties, identification of advantageous variation, and linkage drag. The lack of adaptation to field conditions and the existence of highly structured populations make association mapping of diversity panels not optimal. Joint linkage mapping of nested populations avoids the later constraint, while populations crossed with a common domesticated parent allow the evaluation of wild variation within a more adapted background. We developed three domesticated by wild backcrossed inbred line populations (BC1S4), using three wild accessions representing the extreme range of rainfall of the Mesoamerican wild bean distribution crossed to the elite drought tolerant domesticated parent SEA 5. We evaluated the populations under field conditions in three environments, two fully irrigated trials in two seasons and a simulated terminal drought in ...