Root rot in pea, caused by soil-borne pathogens, is a key challenge for sustainable plant protection. It is exacerbated by climate change and threatens the yield stability of peas and other legumes in Swiss crop rotations. Legumes are essential for a secure supply of sustainably produced, protein-rich food and feed, for which demand is rising. Through biological nitrogen fixation, pea cultivation reduces fertiliser use and greenhouse gas emissions. However, long rotation breaks are currently needed, as frequent legume cultivation promotes specialised soil-borne pathogens, causing soil fatigue and yield losses.
To overcome these constraints, FiBL has screened more than 250 pea lines and identified initial genomic regions associated with direct and putative microbiome-mediated root rot resistance. A collaboration with the John Innes Centre (JIC) and the international seed company KWS offers the opportunity to pool and complement international expertise and make it usable in Switzerland together with the Swiss Plant Breeding Center (SPBC) and Getreidezüchtung Peter Kunz (gzpk).
Drawing on JIC's diverse germplasm, including crop wild relatives, the project aims to identify new sources of resistance, develop precise resistance markers and apply them for marker-assisted selection in newly established resistance populations, thereby expanding preventive options against root rot through more robust varieties. Integrating the markers into a Swiss breeding programme will strengthen local pea production and ensure direct transfer into practice.
Project manager
