Rapid generation advancement through speed breeding in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)

Speed breeding (SB) is an effective solution to enhance genetic gain. We advanced 14 intraspecific and interspecific lentil populations from F-2 to F-6 generation under a SB growth chamber applying an extended photoperiod of 18h light (23-25 degrees C)/6h darkness (14-16 degrees C). Six generations per year were achieved with an average generation cycle ranging from 62 to 76 days, demonstrating the effectiveness of SB in reducing generation time. More than 1500 F(6-7 )single plant-row advanced lines obtained from the populations were grown as observation nurseries under field conditions for seed multiplication and preliminary selection prior to their introduction in yield trials in the perspective of identifying new improved varieties. In addition to higher genetic gain, the SB method is resource efficient and easy to implement in small-scale breeding programs. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing effective implementation of SB protocol in lentil breeding pipeline in Africa and the Middle East.