Drought tolerance in wild plant populations: the case of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

ABSTRACT: Reliable estimations of drought tolerance in wild plant populations have proved to be challenging and more accessible alternatives are desirable. With that in mind, an ecological diversity study was conducted based on the geographical origin of 104 wild common bean accessions to estimate drought tolerance in their natural habitats. Our wild population sample covered a range of mesic to very dry habitats from Mexico to Argentina. Two potential evapotranspiration models that considered the effects of temperature and radiation were coupled with the precipitation regimes of the last fifty years for each collection site based on geographical information system analysis. We found that wild accessions were distributed among different precipitation regimes following a latitudinal gradient and that

SUBMITTER: Cortes AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3643911 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature