The study focuses on aluminum (Al) toxicity, a significant factor limiting crop production in acid soils, primarily in developing tropical and sub-tropical countries. The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is particularly sensitive to Al toxicity. The research aimed to assess root architectural traits in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of the common bean, contrasting for Al resistance (DOR364 × G19833). It identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling root growth under two nutrient solutions, one with 20 μM Al concentration and the other without Al, both at pH 4.5. The study identified a total of 24 QTL, with 9 for traits under Al treatment, 8 for traits under control treatment, and 7 for relative traits. Root characteristics under Al treatment were found to be polygenic, and some QTL were identified at the same location as QTL for tolerance to low phosphorous stress, suggesting cross-links in the genetic control of common bean adaptation to different abiotic stresses.

The study utilized a common bean population of 87 RILs generated at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). The beans came from the cross DOR364 × G19833. The bean genotype G19833, a large-seeded Peruvian landrace, Chaucha Chuga, belongs to the Andean gene pool and is classified as Al-resistant. In contrast, DOR364 is a small-seeded advanced line released as a variety in several Central American countries, belonging to the Mesoamerican gene pool and classified as intermediate in Al resistance. The experiment used seeds from the F7:11 generation along with the population's parents to screen for resistance to Al.