Historically, dry bean breeding programs have primarily focused on a shoot architectureideotype to improve crop yield. An upright growth habit is thought to improve yield, adaptation, maturity, and mechanized harvesting. Growth habit is largely classified by three heritable characteristics: determinacy, length of main stem internodes, and climbing ability. Growth habits are not controlled by a singular genetic component but rather a plethora of genetic components combined. Indirect selection occurs when a trait is inadvertently selected upon, frequently by artificial selection, without it being the primary target. Shoot architecture is commonly targeted for breeding programs, whereas selection on root architecture is less common, often focusing on a related breeding target (i.e. pathogen resistance, nutrient availability, etc.). Roots and shoots have overlapping genetic and hormonal mechanisms for development. This work aims to identify whether breeding for an upright shoot architecture has indirectly selected upon root architecture. Using MSU pinto bean breeding program cultivars, a panel (composed of common pinto, UI- 111, Sierra, Kodiak, and Eldorado) was assessed at MSU’s Montcalm research farm in 2020 and in 2021 where shoots, and roots were collected at the R1 stage. Architecture data collected includes but is not limited to solidity, taproot width, basal root number, basal root width, and plant length. We aim to determine if or which root architectural changes have occurred over a historical timeline. In the long term, these results will help improve the quality of dry beans and support future root architecture research in breeding programs.
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