Effect of genotype and environment on vicine and convicine levels in fababeans (<i>Vicia faba</i> minor)

Abstract

Abstract The concentrations of vicine and convicine (1.94 and 0.83%, dry basis, respectively) in fababeans were highest in young seeds and decreased rapidly with maturity. By 21‐28 August 1978 the concentrations had levelled off and the rank order of four cultivars, which differed widely in days required to mature, remained unchanged for the rest of the growing season. Analysis of variance on 36 fababean cultivars grown at different locations and years in Saskatchewan showed that genotype and environment had highly significant ( P =0.01) effects on the glucoside level of fababean samples. Although lower in concentration (mean=0.31%), convicine showed greater variability among cultivars than vicine (mean = 0.66%). The glucoside contents of 242 diverse cultivars grown at Saskatoon ranged from 0.44 to 0.82% for vicine and 0.13 to 0.64% for convicine with the lowest cultivar containing 0.62% total glucoside. Individual seeds of a cultivar differed greatly in glucoside content and could become another source of variability for plant breeding and selection of low‐glucoside cultivars. Hulls were relatively free of glucosides but, despite variations in hull content, it was unnecessary to dehull samples before analysis.