Genome‐Wide Association Study Reveals the Genetic Architecture and Key Drought and Yield Related Genes in Common Vetch (Vicia sativa L.)

Common vetch ( Vicia sativa L.) is one of the most economically important annual pasture legumes worldwide. Many factors affect the yield of common vetch; however, the genetic architecture and gene functions associated with common vetch yield have not been explored. On the basis of 115.53 million single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 18.55 million insertions–deletions (InDels) identified in 222 diverse common vetch accessions, we performed a comprehensive genome‐wide association study (GWAS) on the 4‐year results for six yield‐related agronomic traits (water loss rate, dry weight, lodging index, stem thickness, absolute height and natural height). In total, 2864 SNPs and 481 InDels were respectively identified to be significantly associated with these six traits. Furthermore, a water loss rate‐related candidate gene (Vs‐pyruvate decarboxylase 2 [ VsPDC2 ]) was functionally characterised and demonstrated to be a key regulator of the water loss rate in the heterologous species Arabidopsis thaliana . This study is the first to use GWAS to investigate the genetic architecture and key regulatory genes associated with drought tolerance and yield in common vetch, thereby providing valuable insights for common vetch breeding and future research.