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Efficiency of different breeding strategies in improving the faba bean productivity for sustainable agriculture

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Kifah Gharzeddin
Kifah Gharzeddin
Kifah Gharzeddin
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Fouad Maalouf at International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
Fouad Maalouf
Boulos Khoury
Boulos Khoury
Boulos Khoury
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Lynn Abou Khater
Lynn Abou Khater
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Abstract and Figures

Breeding methods applied to faba bean are either based on self pollination by developing lines under insect proof cages or based on open pollination by developing lines under natural pollination conditions. The purpose of this research is to compare the performance of pedigree selection method (PSM) as a self pollinated breeding method and recurrent selection methods (RSM) and synthetics as an open pollinated method. Eleven diverse accessions were used to develop in F6 generation 24 lines using PSM, 35 lines using RSM and nine synthetics from 2012 to 2016. The different developed lines were evaluated in two winter cropping seasons (2014/2015) and (2016/2017) in an alpha design with two replications. Significant differences among lines and among breeding methods were obtained for biological and grain yield, days to flowering, days to maturity, branches per plant, pods per plant, hundred seed weight. Synthetic populations had higher yield than RSM lines; whereas RSM lines revealed higher yield performance than PSM lines. Multivariate analysis indicates that most of the variation among different lines developed by different methods is due to variation in number of branches, days to flowering, biological and grain yield. Open pollinated cultivars were found to be more appropriate to increase the yield in farmers’ fields and may play a critical role in conserving wild pollinators, but ensuring optimal yields might require capacity building for farmers concerning wild pollinators.
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Efficiency of different breeding strategies in improving
the faba bean productivity for sustainable agriculture
Kifah Gharzeddin .Fouad Maalouf .Boulos Khoury .Lynn Abou Khater .
Stefanie Christmann .Narjes Ali Jamal El Dine
Received: 1 July 2019 / Accepted: 28 October 2019 / Published online: 14 November 2019
ÓSpringer Nature B.V. 2019
Abstract Breeding methods applied to faba bean are
either based on self pollination by developing lines
under insect proof cages or based on open pollination
by developing lines under natural pollination condi-
tions. The purpose of this research is to compare the
performance of pedigree selection method (PSM) as a
self pollinated breeding method and recurrent selec-
tion methods (RSM) and synthetics as an open
pollinated method. Eleven diverse accessions were
used to develop in F6 generation 24 lines using PSM,
35 lines using RSM and nine synthetics from 2012 to
2016. The different developed lines were evaluated in
two winter cropping seasons (2014/2015) and (2016/
2017) in an alpha design with two replications.
Significant differences among lines and among breed-
ing methods were obtained for biological and grain
yield, days to flowering, days to maturity, branches per
plant, pods per plant, hundred seed weight. Synthetic
populations had higher yield than RSM lines; whereas
RSM lines revealed higher yield performance than
PSM lines. Multivariate analysis indicates that most of
the variation among different lines developed by
different methods is due to variation in number of
branches, days to flowering, biological and grain yield.
Open pollinated cultivars were found to be more
appropriate to increase the yield in farmers’ fields and
may play a critical role in conserving wild pollinators,
but ensuring optimal yields might require capacity
building for farmers concerning wild pollinators.
Keywords Faba bean Breeding methods
Recurrent selection Pedigree method Synthetic
cultivars
Introduction
Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) cultivation can be traced
back to the beginning of agriculture (Cubero 1973). It
is one of the oldest crops grown in the Fertile Crescent
(Caracuta et al. 2015). Presently, faba bean is one of
the most important grain legumes in East Asia, East
and North Africa and the Middle East, and is classified
as the fourth most widely grown cool season legume
K. Gharzeddin
Department of Plant Science, McGill University,
Montreal, Canada
F. Maalouf (&)L. Abou Khater
International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry
Areas (ICARDA), Terbol, Zahle
´, Lebanon
e-mail: f.maalouf@cgiar.org
N. A. Jamal El Dine
Faculty of Agriculture Beirut, Lebanese University,
Beirut, Lebanon
B. Khoury
Department of Field Crops, Tishreen University, Latakia,
Syria
S. Christmann
ICARDA, Rabat, Morocco
123
Euphytica (2019) 215:203
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-019-2521-3(0123456789().,-volV)(0123456789().,-volV)
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
... Cold-weather legumes are a valuable source of premium plant-based protein suitable for human consumption and livestock feed. They play an essential role in crop rotation on arable lands, helping to minimize the requirement for fertilizer usage and acting as effective interim crops [1][2][3][4][5][6]. However, as for any crop, legumes can be affected by a number of diseases, out of which Ascochyta blights are one of the most important groups of necrotic fungal diseases globally present in all legume cultivation areas [7]. ...
... In this study, we focus on the Ascochyta blight of faba bean which is widespread and can cause significant damage by breaking stems, leaf lesions, and seed depreciation. Disease control through crop rotation, clean seed, and chemical treatment is not wholly effective [4] and only moderate levels of genetic resistance are available [16,17], reinforcing the need to understand pathogenicity factors as targets both for resistance breeding and for designing alternative management strategies. ...
... Phytotoxicity from ascochlorin (1), ascofuranol (2), benzoic acid (5), tyrosol (6), and ascosalitoxin (7) was not dose dependent, showing activity at any concentration tested. By contrast, (R)-mevalonolactone (3) and ascosalipyrone (4) showed phytotoxicity only at the higher concentration tested (values higher than 30 and 46 mm 2 , respectively). Common vetch was less affected by the metabolite's application, showing significant necrotic areas only with ascofuranol (2), benzoic acid (5), and ascosalitoxin (7) at the highest concentration rate. ...
Comparative Analysis of Secondary Metabolites Produced by Ascochyta fabae under In Vitro Conditions and Their Phytotoxicity on the Primary Host, Vicia faba, and Related Legume Crops
Article
Full-text available
  • Dec 2023
Ascochyta blight, caused by Ascochyta fabae, poses a significant threat to faba bean and other legumes worldwide. Necrotic lesions on stems, leaves, and pods characterize the disease. Given the economic impact of this pathogen and the potential involvement of secondary metabolites in symptom development, a study was conducted to investigate the fungus’s ability to produce bioactive metabolites that might contribute to its pathogenicity. For this investigation, the fungus was cultured in three substrates (Czapek-Dox, PDB, and rice). The produced metabolites were analyzed by NMR and LC-HRMS methods, resulting in the dereplication of seven metabolites, which varied with the cultural substrates. Ascochlorin, ascofuranol, and (R)-mevalonolactone were isolated from the Czapek-Dox extract; ascosalipyrone, benzoic acid, and tyrosol from the PDB extract; and ascosalitoxin and ascosalipyrone from the rice extract. The phytotoxicity of the pure metabolites was assessed at different concentrations on their primary hosts and related legumes. The fungal exudates displayed varying degrees of phytotoxicity, with the Czapek-Dox medium’s exudate exhibiting the highest activity across almost all legumes tested. The species belonging to the genus Vicia spp. were the most susceptible, with faba bean being susceptible to all metabolites, at least at the highest concentration tested, as expected. In particular, ascosalitoxin and benzoic acid were the most phytotoxic in the tested condition and, as a consequence, expected to play an important role on necrosis’s appearance.
View
... Development of open pollinated varieties by using recurrent selection methods (Rowland, 1987) and by developing synthetics (Stelling et al., 1994;Maalouf et al., 1999) may ensure floral display diversity favoring insect pollination (Suso et al., 2005). Recurrent selection was first used by Hallauer (1981) and Rowland (1987) in Canada and it is used by different national breeding programs in Egypt, Sudan and by the International breeding program at ICARDA (Gharzeddin et al., 2019). Recurrent selection would be a useful breeding method for preventing the loss of potentially desirable genes where the introduction of new germplasm and selection for adaptation are occurring at the same time (Hallauer, 1981). ...
... Recurrent selection would be a useful breeding method for preventing the loss of potentially desirable genes where the introduction of new germplasm and selection for adaptation are occurring at the same time (Hallauer, 1981). Both recurrent and synthetic breeding methods may lead to exploit heterosis in faba bean cultivars and then to enhance yield and yield stability (Stelling et al., 1994;Abdelmula et al., 1999;Gharzeddin et al., 2019), as well as to increase the resistance or tolerance to major abiotic (Gasim and Link, 2007;Terzopoulos and Bebeli, 2008) and biotic stresses (Maalouf et al., 2008). ...
... Vegetables and faba bean needs wild pollinators e.g. carpenter bees, bumblebees (Bombus lapidarius, B.pascuorum, B. hortorum), mason bees, longhorn bees, digger bees (Anthophora plumipes), leafcutter bees and hoverflies (Gharzeddin et al., 2019). By attracting these wild pollinators, farmers can enhance the productivity significantly (Aouar-Sadli et al., 2008;Nayak et al., 2014;Andersson et al., 2014). ...
Faba bean
Chapter
  • Jan 2021
Faba bean (Vicia faba L) is one of the oldest and most important cool season food legumes, domesticated in Fertile Crescent, Middle East and widely grown worldwide in diverse environments. It is considered as a staple dietary protein source in North African, Middle East, West and East Asia and East Africa. The crop is also rich in microelements (Iron and Zinc) and many other compounds essential for health. The crop is consumed as green and dry in many countries. Faba bean is an integral part of dryland farming systems in East Africa, West Asia and North Africa. However, countries in the Middle East and North Africa have been net importers as a result of significant decline in faba bean production over the years. The decrease in area and production is due to several biotic and abiotic constraints which affect its productivity in addition to weak seed delivery systems. The faba bean breeding program at ICARDA has been working to supply improved germplasm and genetic stocks to the global research communities. These achievements contributed to the enhancement of food and nutrition security, market competitiveness and farming system resilience. The modernization of faba bean breeding program through application of genomic tools and through the implementation of speed breeding approach would help to increase its efficiency and consequently improve the faba bean production at the required level over the coming years and replace old cultivars used by farmers. Breeding for resistance/tolerance to diseases, parasitic weeds, heat and drought has resulted in the release of several varieties in North Africa and East Africa. In addition, full packages for disease, parasitic weeds, viruses, insect pests and acid soils management were developed for North and East Africa and contributed to yield increase in farmers’ fields. However, a faba bean seed system is needed to replace old cultivars with new potential varieties in target countries.
View
... Development of open pollinated varieties by using recurrent selection methods (Rowland, 1987) and by developing synthetics (Stelling et al., 1994;Maalouf et al., 1999) may ensure floral display diversity favoring insect pollination (Suso et al., 2005). Recurrent selection was first used by Hallauer (1981) and Rowland (1987) in Canada and it is used by different national breeding programs in Egypt, Sudan and by the International breeding program at ICARDA (Gharzeddin et al., 2019). Recurrent selection would be a useful breeding method for preventing the loss of potentially desirable genes where the introduction of new germplasm and selection for adaptation are occurring at the same time (Hallauer, 1981). ...
... Recurrent selection would be a useful breeding method for preventing the loss of potentially desirable genes where the introduction of new germplasm and selection for adaptation are occurring at the same time (Hallauer, 1981). Both recurrent and synthetic breeding methods may lead to exploit heterosis in faba bean cultivars and then to enhance yield and yield stability (Stelling et al., 1994;Abdelmula et al., 1999;Gharzeddin et al., 2019), as well as to increase the resistance or tolerance to major abiotic (Gasim and Link, 2007;Terzopoulos and Bebeli, 2008) and biotic stresses (Maalouf et al., 2008). ...
... Vegetables and faba bean needs wild pollinators e.g. carpenter bees, bumblebees (Bombus lapidarius, B.pascuorum, B. hortorum), mason bees, longhorn bees, digger bees (Anthophora plumipes), leafcutter bees and hoverflies (Gharzeddin et al., 2019). By attracting these wild pollinators, farmers can enhance the productivity significantly (Aouar-Sadli et al., 2008;Nayak et al., 2014;Andersson et al., 2014). ...
View
... Additionally, these cultivars are initially grown and selected in insect-proof enclosures. Depending on the level of outcrossing, faba bean breeding can be conducted under controlled selfing conditions in insect-proof cages or, with less control and in cases of minimal outcrossing, through line development under open field conditions (Gharzeddin et al., 2019). Hybrid vigor (heterosis) is pronounced in faba bean, with heterozygous F 1 hybrids yielding 40 to 70% more than their homozygous parents (Zeid et al., 2004;Dieckmann and Link, 2010). ...
... Firstly, an operational cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) system is necessary. However, current CMS systems in faba bean exhibit inadequate levels of male sterility, with insufficient pollen sterility and frequent spontaneous reversion to fertility Maalouf et al., 2019). The second challenge is the availability of effective pollinators. ...
Faba Bean: A Potential Crop for Climate Resilient Agriculture
Book
Full-text available
  • Sep 2024
The book "Faba Bean: A Potential Crop for Climate Resilient Agriculture" highlights the importance of faba bean (Vicia faba) as a sustainable and climate-resilient crop. Faba beans are recognized for their adaptability to various environmental conditions and their potential to contribute to agricultural systems facing the challenges of climate change. This book covers all the aspects related to faba bean from cultivation practices to crop improvement and it's use as a potential leguminous crop for climate resilient agriculture.
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... The faba bean accessions can be grouped into several distinct genetic pools differing with regard to phenology and adaptation, with the Mediterranean types being particularly distinct to the rest [3][4][5]. A variation in adaptation to oceanic and continental climates can be found within the various pools [1,6], whereas adaptation to the Mediterranean environments seem to be limited to the Mediterranean types [1,[5][6][7][8][9]. Yield instability due to genotype × environment interactions (GEIs) has often been regarded as a major factor limiting faba bean cultivation in the Mediterranean basin [6,[9][10][11][12][13][14], reinforcing the need to refine agronomic practices and specific breeding for the Mediterranean megaenvironment [10]. ...
Agronomic Performance of Broomrape Resistant and Susceptible Faba Bean Accession
Article
Full-text available
  • Jun 2022
The faba bean (Vicia faba) is a temperate grain legume, that is regaining interest due to the high demand for food and feed uses and the environmental services provided. The parasitic weed broomrape (Orobanche crenata) appears as the major constraint to agricultural production in the Mediterranean Basin. The yield stability can be managed by adjusting agronomic practices and breeding for adaptation. In this study, we compared the performance of three susceptible faba bean accessions with that of eight lines previously selected for their broomrape resistance, in multi-environment field trials. Results confirmed that the grain yield in the region was negatively affected, mainly by broomrape infection, followed at a distance by ascochyta blight (Ascochyta fabae), whereas the grain yield was little affected by the low occurring levels of chocolate spot infection (Botrytis fabae). The yield was favored by rain at flowering and was reduced by low temperatures at pre-flowering and flowering, and by high temperatures at flowering and grain-filling. The combined ANOVA showed significant effects of the genotype, environment, and genotypex environment interaction. The weighted average of the absolute scores biplot (WAASB), a heat map with 21 scenarios based on the WAASB ratio and the multi-trait stability index (MTSI) were utilized to determine the mean performance and stability of the faba bean genotypes. Quijote, Navio6, Baraca and FaraonSC are proposed as ideal lines for cultivation in the region and to be further used in future breeding programs.
View
... The classification of low yielding genotypes as stable and high yielding genotypes as unstable by the different stability parameters might be due to the type of accessions evaluated. In the present study, the evaluated accessions are pure lines that have narrow genetic base, narrow adaptability and generally are low yielding and unstable due to homozygosity [64,65]. ...
Adaptability and Stability of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Accessions under Diverse Environments and Herbicide Treatments
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2022
The adaptability and stability of 37 faba bean (Vicia faba L.) accessions with different levels of tolerance to metribuzin or imazethapyr was assessed across 12 season–location–herbicide experiments. Significant Genotype x environment (GE) interaction was found for the days to flowering (DFLR), plant height (PLHT) and grain yield (GY). Performance and stability of the accessions regarding PLHT and GY were assessed using four different stability parameters: cultivar superiority, static stability, Wricke’s eco-valence and Finlay and Wilkinson’s regression model. The stability parameters ranked these genotypes differently suggesting that PLHT and GY stability should be assessed not only on a single or a few stability parameters but on a combination of them. GGE biplot analysis indicated that the environments representing metribuzin treatment at Marchouch 2014–2015 and the non-treated treatment at Terbol 2018–2019 are the ideal environments for evaluating faba bean genotypes. GGE biplots showed herbicide tolerant accession IG12983 with simultaneous average PLHT, GY and stability across the environments. The performance of other tolerant accessions, namely IG13945, IG13906, IG106453, FB2648, and FB1216 was less stable but superior under specific mega environments. Therefore, utilizing these accessions in faba bean breeding programs would help broaden the adaptability to diverse locations–season–herbicide treatments.
View
... Furthermore, they are initially grown and selected under insectproof enclosures. Depending on the level of outcrossing, faba bean breeding may be performed under conditions of controlled selfing in insect-proof cages or, with less control and in case of little outcrossing, based on developing lines under open field conditions (Gharzeddin et al., 2019). ...
Conventional and Molecular Breeding Tools for Accelerating Genetic Gain in Faba Bean (Vicia Faba L.)
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 2021
Faba bean is a cool-season grain legume crop, which is grown worldwide for food and feed. Despite a decrease in area under faba bean in the past, the interest in growing faba bean is increasing globally due to its high seed protein content and its excellent ecological service. The crop is, however, exposed to diverse biotic and abiotic stresses causing unstable, low grain yield. Although, sources of resistance to main diseases, such as ascochyta blight (Ascochyta fabae Speg.), rust (Uromyces viciae-fabae (Pers.) Schroet.), chocolate spot (Botrytis fabae Sard.) and gall disease (Physioderma viciae), have been identified, their resistance is only partial and cannot prevent grain yield losses without agronomical practices. Tightly associated DNA markers for host plant resistance genes are needed to enhance the level of resistance. Less progress has been made for abiotic stresses. Different breeding methods are proposed, but until now line breeding, based on the pedigree method, is the dominant practice in breeding programs. Nonetheless, the low seed multiplication coefficient and the requirement for growing under insect-proof enclosures to avoid outcrossing hampers breeding, along with the lack of tools such as double haploid system and cytoplasmic male sterility. This reduces breeding population size and speed of breeding hence the chances of capturing rare combinations of favorable alleles. Availability and use of the DNA markers such as vicine-convicine (vc⁻) and herbicide tolerance in breeding programs have encouraged breeders and given confidence in marker assisted selection. Closely linked QTL for several biotic and abiotic stress tolerance are available and their verification and conversion in breeder friendly platform will enhance the selection process. Recently, genomic selection and speed breeding techniques together with genomics have come within reach to accelerate the genetic gains in faba bean. Advancements in genomic resources with other breeding tools, methods and platforms will enable to accelerate the breeding process for enhancing genetic gain in this species.
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View
Genetic and Genomic Research for Abiotic Stresses in Faba Bean
Chapter
  • Mar 2022
Faba bean is an important legume grown in diverse cropping systems in many regions. The crop suffers from diverse abiotic stresses which reduce the yield and limit its expansion to new niches. The major abiotic stresses are extreme temperature, drought, waterlogging, acidic soils and salinity. Breeding efforts for tolerance to abiotic stresses resulted in the development of cultivars for cold, heat, drought, and acidic soils for diverse environments. These were the results of traits deployment in the field which require long time. The application of modern speed method is considered one of pioneer innovation to ensure significant increase of the genetic gains and consequently the efficiency of the breeding programs. The genome wide association studies will be useful for the identification of efficient markers that can be used in the breeding program. This will open the scope to conduct precise screening for abiotic stress related traits in larger population in early generation allowing the shortening of breeding cycle and the increase of the selection intensity which will be expressed in higher attainable genetic gains in faba bean.
View
Pollination biology and breeding system of Desmodium grahamii (Fabaceae, Papilionoideae): functional aspects of flowers and bees
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  • Nov 2019
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Global agricultural productivity is threatened by increasing pollinator dependence without a parallel increase in crop diversification
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Crop Domestication Alters Floral Reward Chemistry With Potential Consequences for Pollinator Health
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Crop domestication can lead to weakened expression of plant defences, with repercussions for herbivore and pathogen susceptibility. However, little is known about how domestication alters traits that mediate other important ecological interactions in crops, such as pollination. Secondary metabolites, which underpin many defence responses in plants, also occur widely in nectar and pollen and influence plant-pollinator interactions. Thus, domestication may also affect secondary compounds in floral rewards, with potential consequences for pollinators. To test this hypothesis, we chemically analysed nectar and pollen from wild and cultivated plants of highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.), before conducting an artificial diet bioassay to examine pollinator-pathogen interactions. Our results indicated that domestication has significantly altered the chemical composition of V. corymbosum nectar and pollen, and reduced pollen chemical diversity in cultivated plants. Of 20 plant metabolites identified in floral rewards, 13 differed significantly between wild and cultivated plants, with a majority showing positive associations with wild compared to cultivated plants. These included the amino acid phenylalanine (4.5 times higher in wild nectar, 11 times higher in wild pollen), a known bee phagostimulant and essential nutrient; and the antimicrobial caffeic acid ester 4-O-caffeoylshikimic acid (two times higher in wild nectar). We assessed the possible biological relevance of variation in caffeic acid esters in bioassays, using the commercially available 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid. This compound reduced Bombus impatiens infection by a prominent gut pathogen (Crithidia) at concentrations that occurred in wild but not cultivated plants, suggesting that domestication may influence floral traits with consequences for bee health. Appreciable levels of genetic variation and heritability were found for most floral reward chemical traits, indicating good potential for selective breeding. Our study provides the first assessment of plant domestication effects on floral reward chemistry and its potential repercussions for pollinator health. Given the central importance of pollinators for agriculture, we discuss the need to extend such investigations to pollinator-dependent crops more generally and elaborate on future research directions to ascertain wider trends, consequences for pollinators, mechanisms, and breeding solutions.
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Improving protein content and nutrition quality
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Book description: Food legumes are important constituents of human and animal nutrition, supplying high quality proteins crucial for a balanced diet. These crops also play an important role in low-input agricultural production systems by fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Despite systematic and continuous breeding efforts by legume researchers all over the world, substantial genetic gains have not been achieved. These issues require immediate attention, and overall, a paradigm shift is needed in breeding strategies to strengthen our traditional crop improvement programs. To this end, Biology and Breeding of Food Legumes provides extensive information on their history, origin, evolution and botany, as well as breeding objectives and procedures, nutritional improvement, industrial uses, post-harvest technology and recent developments made through biotechnological intervention.
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There is worldwide concern about the environmental costs of conventional intensification of agriculture. Growing evidence suggests that ecological intensification of mainstream farming can safeguard food production, with accompanying environmental benefits; however, the approach is rarely adopted by farmers. Our review of the evidence for replacing external inputs with ecosystem services shows that scientists tend to focus on processes (e.g., pollination) rather than outcomes (e.g., profits), and express benefits at spatio-temporal scales that are not always relevant to farmers. This results in mismatches in perceived benefits of ecological intensification between scientists and farmers, which hinders its uptake. We provide recommendations for overcoming these mismatches and highlight important additional factors driving uptake of nature-based management practices, such as social acceptability of farming.
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