ABSTRACT
The development of gene transfer techniques for faba bean is of commercial interest as they will facilitate the production of cultivars with improved characteristics such as resistance to biotic and abiotic stress, and enhancing the nutritional value. Chocolate spot (Botrytis fabae) and ascochyta blight (Ascochyta fabae) are the most widespread and devastating fungal diseases in all production areas. Viral diseases and the parasitic weed Orobanche crenata are the most important factors contributing to losses in faba bean production in the West Asian and North African region (Hanounik et al., 1993; Robertson and Saxena, 1993). Abiotic stresses like limited cold tolerance and the susceptibility to drought stress are major constraints on yield. Today, breeding programs of Vicia faba could be supplemented by recombinant DNA technology, which requires the development of reproducible protocols for its genetic transformation. The combination of conventional breeding approaches, plant tissue culture techniques, and recombinant DNA technology opens tremendous avenues for improvement of faba bean in a short time.
