Developing acid-soil-tolerant faba bean varieties to expand faba bean adaption.

Faba bean is an important pulse crop in Australian farming systems, providing valuable rotational benefits through biological nitrogen fixation, disease breaks and improved productivity of subsequent crops. However, production and expansion of the crop are constrained by soil acidity, particularly in Western Australia, parts of South Australia and southern New South Wales, where acidic soils reduce root growth, nodulation, nitrogen fixation and grain yield. Recent advances in genetics, genomics and phenotyping technologies provide new opportunities to accelerate the development of faba bean varieties with improved adaptation to acid soils. This investment will identify novel sources of acid soil tolerance, develop molecular markers and high throughput screening methods, and deliver breeder ready germplasm for Australian breeding programs. The goal is to improve adaptation, yield stability and productivity of faba bean in acid soil environments, supporting expansion into suitable production regions and improving the profitability and resilience of Australian farming systems. Ultimately, this investment will provide the tools and germplasm required to accelerate breeding for improved acid soil tolerance in Australian faba bean.