Genetic dissection of drought resistance based on root traits at the bud stage in common bean

A whole-genome resequencing-derived SNP dataset used for genome-wide association analysis revealed 196 loci significantly associated with drought stress based on root traits. Candidate genes identified in the regions of these loci include homologs of known drought resistance genes in A. thaliana. Drought is the main abiotic constraint of the production of common bean. Improved adaptation to drought environments has become a main goal of crop breeding due to the increasing scarcity of water that will occur in the future. The overall objective of our study was to identify genomic regions associated with drought resistance based on root traits using genome-wide association analysis. A natural population of 438 common bean accessions was evaluated for root traits: root surface area, root average diameter, root volume, total root length, taproot length, lateral root number, root dry weight, lateral root length, special root weight/length, using seed germination pouches under drought conditions and in well-watered environments. The coefficient of variation ranged from 11.24% (root average diameter) to 38.19% (root dry weight) in the well-watered environment and from 9.61% (root average diameter) to 39.05% (lateral root length) under drought stress. A whole-genome resequencing-derived SNP dataset revealed 196 loci containing 230 candidate SNPs associated with drought resistance. Seventeen candidate SNPs were simultaneously associated with more than two traits. Forty-one loci were simultaneously associated with more than two traits, and eleven loci were colocated with loci previously reported to be related to drought resistance. Candidate genes of the associated loci included the ABA-responsive element-binding protein family, MYB, NAC, the protein kinase superfamily, etc. These results revealed promising alleles linked to drought resistance or root traits, providing insights into the genetic basis of drought resistance and roots, which will be useful for common bean improvement.