Using phenomics to identify and integrate traits of interest for better-performing common beans: A validation study on an interspecific hybrid and its Acutifolii parents

Abstract

Introduction Evaluations of interspecific hybrids are limited, as classical genebank accession descriptors are semi-subjective, have qualitative traits and show complications when evaluating intermediate accessions. However, descriptors can be quantified using recognized phenomic traits. This digitalization can identify phenomic traits which correspond to the percentage of parental descriptors remaining expressed/visible/measurable in the particular interspecific hybrid. In this study, a line of P. vulgaris , P. acutifolius and P. parvifolius accessions and their crosses were sown in the mesh house according to CIAT seed regeneration procedures. Methodology Three accessions and one derived breeding line originating from their interspecific crosses were characterized and classified by selected phenomic descriptors using multivariate and machine learning techniques. The phenomic proportions of the interspecific hybrid (line INB 47) with respect to its three parent accessions were determined using a random forest and a respective confusion matrix. Results The seed and pod morphometric traits, physiological behavior and yield performance were evaluated. In the classification of the accession, the phenomic descriptors with highest prediction force were Fm', Fo', Fs', LTD, Chl, seed area, seed height, seed Major, seed MinFeret, seed Minor, pod AR, pod Feret, pod round, pod solidity, pod area, pod major, pod seed weight and pod weight. Physiological traits measured in the interspecific hybrid present 2.2% similarity with the P. acutifolius and 1% with the P. parvifolius accessions. In addition, in seed morphometric characteristics, the hybrid showed 4.5% similarity with the P. acutifolius accession. Conclusions Here we were able to determine the phenomic proportions of individual parents in their interspecific hybrid accession. After some careful generalization the methodology can be used to: i) verify trait-of-interest transfer from P. acutifolius and P. parvifolius accessions into their hybrids; ii) confirm selected traits as "phenomic markers" which would allow conserving desired physiological traits of exotic parental accessions, without losing key seed characteristics from elite common bean accessions; and iii) propose a quantitative tool that helps genebank curators and breeders to make better-informed decisions based on quantitative analysis.

Plant phenotyping relevance

インタースペシフィック雑種の形質を定量化・分類し、ランダムフォレストと混同行列で親由来のフェノミック形質割合を検証する方法論が研究の中心である。

Code and data availability

The paper's MultispeQ physiological phenotyping measurements (1,022 observations) are publicly available on the PhotosynQ platform as the authors' own project 'domestication-syndrome' (ID 5685). No author analysis code or trained model deposit is stated; the data availability statement only promises raw data on request