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Genetic variation in seed dormancy, soil tolerance, and pH response jointly shape early establishment in Lupinus species

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Abstract

The ability of seeds to overcome dormancy and establish seedlings under variable conditions determines crop establishment success in agroecosystems. Genetic diversity in dormancy-related traits and their interaction with soil and pH conditions define the ecological and agronomic limits of early establishment in Lupinus. We evaluated 50 accessions from three species (L. angustifolius, L. luteus, and L. albus) to quantify how variation in seed-coat impermeability interacts with edaphic constraints. Using three complementary experiments—standardized scarification assays, multi-soil trials, and pH-gradient tests—we assessed physical dormancy (PD), germination dynamics, and early seedling establishment performance. In L. angustifolius, mechanical scarification increased germination by up to 85%, and under non-scarified conditions, DDS₅₀ (days to 50% germination) varied widely among accessions (from < 10 to > 200 days). However, low-PD accessions did not consistently achieve high establishment success, indicating that dormancy traits alone do not predict establishment. Generalized linear mixed models revealed strong species × soil and species × pH interactions for emergence and establishment success (P < 0.001), with establishment rates varying from < 20% to > 80% among accessions and environments. Multivariate analyses (PCA and clustering) differentiated accessions with broad versus narrow establishment responses. An integrative, phenotype-based selection index combining establishment success, seedling length, and performance stability under pH gradients identified L. albus and L. luteus accessions with consistent performance across soils, and a subset of L. angustifolius accessions performing well under alkaline conditions. Our findings demonstrate that seed dormancy, soil compatibility, and pH tolerance act as complementary filters, and that integrative phenotyping frameworks can guide genetic selection of resilient Lupinus cover crops for Mediterranean orchards and other perennial systems under climate variability.

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Data availability

The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

Authors are thankful to the MAXI-CoberLEG Operational Group for technical assistance. Research was supported by the Xunta de Galicia (IN607A 2024/02) for support to competitive research groups (www.genecrop.es). Open access publication charges are covered by the CSIC Open Access Initiative.

Funding

Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This research was conducted within the framework of the MAXI-CoberLEG Operational Group, a project funded under the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023–2027. The project is co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) of the European Union (80%) and by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) (20%). M.G. was supported by a PIF2024 Grant for the Completion of the Doctoral Thesis (Ref. 38031), linked to the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) project PID2023-147984OB-I00.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grupo de Genética del Desarrollo de Plantas (DevoLEG), Misión Biológica de Galicia-CSIC, P.O. Box 28, 36080, Pontevedra, Spain

    Ana M. Pesqueira, Ana M. González, Miriam Gallardo & Marta Santalla

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  1. Ana M. Pesqueira
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  2. Ana M. González
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Contributions

M.S. conceived and designed the study and acquired funding. A.M.P. performed the experiments. A.M.P. and A.M.G. collected and analyzed the data. M.G. contributed to methodology, validation, data curation, and visualization. A.M.P. and M.S. wrote the original draft. A.M.P., A.M.G., M.G. and M.S. reviewed and edited the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Marta Santalla.

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Pesqueira, A.M., González, A.M., Gallardo, M. et al. Genetic variation in seed dormancy, soil tolerance, and pH response jointly shape early establishment in Lupinus species.
Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-46460-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-46460-7

Keywords

  • Physical dormancy

  • Lupinus
  • Genetic variation × environment
  • Soil performance
  • pH tolerance
  • Cover crops
  • Climate resilience

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