Procurement of yield in field and broad beans

Abstract

Vicia faba exists in several forms including the familiar field and broad beans. Though the species occasionally produces very heavy crops and the seeds are rich in protein, yields are more often low, and its use in UK agriculture has steadily declined. This article examines the traditional field bean plant and the extent to which genetic variation, some of it new, can both contribute to an understanding of the plant's physiology and produce lines with better and more stable yields.