Vicia faba

Overview
Basic Information
Common Name
Faba Bean
Genus
Vicia
Species
faba
Ploidy
Haploid
Chromosome Number
2n = 12
Genome Size
~13 Gb
Taxonomy
cellular organisms; Eukaryota; Viridiplantae; Streptophyta; Streptophytina; Embryophyta; Tracheophyta; Euphyllophyta; Spermatophyta; Magnoliophyta; Mesangiospermae; eudicotyledons; Gunneridae; Pentapetalae; rosids; fabids; Fabales; Fabaceae; Papilionoideae; Fabeae; Vicia
Description

Faba bean is an annual legume that thrives in relatively cooler growing climates. It is one of the best nitrogen fixers among the grain legumes deriving up to 74% of its nitrogen from the atmosphere and leaving soil nitrogen balances positive (Amanuel et al., Biol Fertil Soils 32:353–359). Nutritionally, it is a good source of dietary fiber, protein, phosphorus, copper and manganese, and a very good source of folate. It is also very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Faba bean has an erect growth habit with stiff stems and long pinnate, gray-green leaves. The pods are long with a downy interior and contain 3-8 seeds. Faba bean is still often grown as a cover crop to prevent erosion, because they can overwinter and because as a legume, they fix nitrogen in the soil.

USask Breeding Program
Market Classes 
livestock feed and human consumption
Breeding Objectives 
Reduction of vicine & convicine, seed size, low tannin, drought adaptation, resistance to Botrytis fabae (chocolate spot), increased yield, and earliness.
Genetic Markers
Germplasm
Publications
Projects