Dan Luo , Hangming Lin

Tropical Legume Research Center, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
Field Crop, 2025, Vol. 8, No. 3   
Received: 18 Mar., 2025    Accepted: 29 Apr., 2025    Published: 19 May, 2025

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

In the context of rain-fed agriculture, this study systematically evaluated the field performance of various drought-tolerant leguminous crop varieties. Firstly, the impact of drought stress on legume production and the characteristics of the target environment were analyzed, and the research objects and scope were clarified. In terms of the theoretical framework, the physiological and ecological mechanisms of drought tolerance in legume crops were summarized, key evaluation indicators and index systems were proposed, and the interaction between genotypes and the environment as well as the theory of adaptability were discussed. Subsequently, a field trial plan was designed, including the selection of test sites, the design of random blocks and the setting of control groups. Consistent cultivation and management measures were adopted to compare the drought tolerance of multiple legume varieties. By measuring yield composition, physiological and root system and other phenotypic trait indicators, as well as obtaining phenotypic data through high-throughput remote sensing methods, the performance of each variety under drought conditions was comprehensively collected. In-depth analysis of the data was conducted by using statistical methods such as yield stability analysis, drought resistance index calculation, trait correlation analysis, water use efficiency estimation and crop model simulation. The results indicated that there were significant differences in drought resistance among different varieties, and the genotype × environment interaction affected the yield stability. Some key traits (such as root systems, physiological indicators, etc.) make significant contributions to yield. By comparing the results of this study with existing literature and breeding goals, it was found that the drought-tolerant varieties selected reached or exceeded the existing levels in terms of yield and stability. Finally, variety recommendation schemes and field management optimization measures for different dryland ecological zones were proposed, and the strategies and technological development directions of drought-tolerant breeding in the future were prospected. The research provides a scientific basis for increasing the yield of leguminous crops under rain-fed conditions.

Legume crops; Drought stress; Output stability; Water use efficiency; Genotype-environment interaction