Unlocking the potential of faba bean in Moroccan agriculture: a review-from research to perspective

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Introduction
Legumes with approximately 20,000 species represent the third-largest family in the plant kingdom.The major-ity of species belonging to Faboideae subfamily (1400 species), and 40 species are food and crop legumes such as soybean (Glycine max), bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), chickpea (Cicer arietinum), and faba bean (Vicia faba) [1,2].
Legumes are among the most important food crops for humans.They play an essential role in the terrestrial ecosystem and play technical and economic roles both at the farm level and at the level of the national econo-my [3].Hence, pulses present the capacity of atmos-pheric nitrogen fixation through symbiosis with Rhizo-biaceae bacteria, the advantage of producing proteins with good nutritional value, and represent significant sources of cash flow for farmers, given their dry and green production [3,4].Legume crops are currently widespread worldwide, particularly in Asia, Africa, America, and the Mediterranean Basin [5].Farmers use legumes as intercrops or cover crops to promote agricultural and soil biodiversity while avoiding pests and diseases [6].Because they naturally fix atmospheric nitrogen, legumes can also contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing the reliance on synthetic fertilizers used to supplement the agricultural soil with chemical nitrogen.Therefore, greenhouse gases are released during the manufacture and use of synthetic fertilizers and their excessive use can harm the environment [7,8].
Pulses, particularly faba bean hold great importance in the cropping systems of Morocco.Due first to their place in the crop rotation, where they occupy the second place after cereals and their economic and nutritional importance.They constitute next to cereals the food base of the majority of the Moroccan population regarding nutritional balance, trade stability, food security, labor, and the supply of agricultural workdays [9,10].However, despite all these properties, this sector has experienced some degradation; production has been steadily decreasing, and the area devoted to grain legumes, such as faba bean, has decreased by 56% globally since 1962 [11].Given that, they represent only 6% of the national utilized agricultural area (UAA) and the total area of legumes in Morocco has decreased by almost 50% [12,13].Indeed, Morocco was the second largest exporter of food legumes worldwide in the early 1960s and until the late 1970s, gradually reducing its production in favor of other more profitable speculations and becoming an importer of these products [14].This decline in productivity is namely due to several biotic and abiotic constraints; such as drought, poor mechanization, and poor crop management in terms of adequate fertilization and management of weeds, insects, cryptogamic diseases, and parasitic plants (Orobanche) [1,6].Given the trend towards a healthy diet and resilient agri-cultural system, the demand for legumes, particularly faba bean, would increase in the near future in both developed and developing countries.To help overcome this limitation of faba bean yields in Morocco, it is essential to know the art state of scientific research related to this crop.To our knowledge, no literature review has focused on faba bean crop in Morocco.Within this outline, the present work represents a critical review of faba bean crop in Morocco, their importance (economic, nutritional, social, etc.), varieties registered in the official catalog, the cultivated area, major production constraints, summary of scientific research carried out on faba bean in Morocco and future perspectives.

History and origin of faba bean
Estimates of the origin and early evolutionary dates of legumes vary with complicated taxonomic history [15].However, the rich macrofossil record from the Eocene suggests that some lineages of the legume family existed approximately 50 million years ago.Papilionid species (the largest subfamily of legumes) share a common ancestor, which underwent a 50 kb inversion in the chloroplast genome approximately 50 million years ago [1].Broad beans (Vicia faba L.) are the oldest domesticated crop [16].From its primary center of origin at the Near Eastern level (in Iraq, Iran, and Syria), 10th millennium B.C., and secondary centers in Afghanistan and Ethiopia [17].More recent remains of the main seed pod type from the Mediterranean basin (including North African countries) date to the 2-3rd millennium BC and probably represent another secondary center of domestication that then spread to Europe, including Britain, and it did not arrive in China until after 1200 AD [18].In the 15th century, faba bean varieties were introduced to South American countries, generating various varieties with different seed characteristics [1].
Local varieties and primitive forms of faba bean show high genetic diversity [19].Significant efforts and more than 162,448,842 base pairs of genomic DNA sequences from 247 faba bean accessions have been reported for understanding faba bean genomics [1].Given their long history, the wild progeny and exact ancestor of faba bean remain unknown or have become extinct [3].Wild species (V.galilaea Plitmann & Zohary and Vicia narbonensis L.) are taxonomically similar to faba bean, but their chromosome number (2n = 14) is different from that of cultivated faba bean (2n = 12) [20].

Subspecies and varieties of Vicia faba
Faba bean (Vicia faba L. minor) is a diploid species that belongs to the Fabaceae family.According to Reta Sanchez et al. [21], faba bean is classified as follows: Sub-Species : Vicia faba L. var.minor (Figure 1).Broad bean and faba bean sown in many countries are cultivars of the same species (Vicia faba L.) [22].Long-term cultivation in diverse environments leads to the differentiation of germplasm into different taxa based on seed size (paucijuga, minor, equina, and major) and adaptation zones (winter and spring type) [1].Indeed, Vicia faba L. is di-vided into two subspecies, Vicia faba subsp.paucijauga and Vicia faba subsp.eu-faba, the latter of which is divided into three varieties [23,24]:  Vicia faba var.major or broad bean is distinguished by the large size of its seeds, which can reach approximately 2 to 3 cm in length.The weight of 1000 seeds varies between 1000 and 1500 grams  Vicia faba var.equina, the fava bean or horse bean with medium-sized seeds; the weight of 1000 seeds is less than 1500 grams  Vicia faba var.minor, the Tick bean or small bean whose seed, is smaller, more or less cylindrical or ovoid, slightly compressed; the weight of 1000 seeds is less than 800 grams Europe accounts for more than 50% of the world's grain legume collection.Thus, Morocco has a large collection of Vicia faba composed of more than 1715 accessions in ex-situ conservation by the National Institute of Agronomic Research [3].
Several faba bean and faba bean varieties were registered in the national catalog following collaborative programs between Moroccan research institutions (INRA and ICARDA) in the late 1970s, with the aim of improving legume varieties [6].According to ONSSA [25], 26 varieties of Vicia faba var.major (19) and Vicia faba var.minor (7) have been included in the A list of the official catalog of Morocco, with the exception of the FLEP variety of faba bean, which was included in the B list (Table 1 and 2).Furthermore, approximately 13 cultivars were available from Moroccan farmers.Among these cultivars are small-seeded varieties such as Alfia 5, Alfia 17, and Alfia 21, and large-seeded varieties such as Karabiga, Defes, and Loubab [6].In addition, new highly productive varieties such as "Hiba" (Vicia faba var.major) and "Zina" (Vicia faba var.minor) created by the National Institute of Agronomic Research were registered in the official catalog in 2018 [26].The new cultivars were grown on about 15.62% of the total national faba bean area and are gaining more and more popularity among farmers.Pregnant varieties remain more known among farmers, such as in the case of Alfia 17, released in 1986, covering more than 8% of the total national area dedicated to faba bean crops [6].

Botanical description of faba bean
Faba bean is a diploid (2n = 12) annual herbaceous plant with indeterminate growth and a stout, hollow, erect stem 0.3 to 2 m [27].The roots are taproots, up to 70 cm long, and bear abundant nodules in the first 30 cm [28].The leaves are alternate, pinnate, composed of two to six broad, opposite leaflets, without tendrils, or with primitive tendrils.Large white flowers with black, purple, or purplish patterns are borne on short pedicels in 1 to 5 on each axillary cluster, yielding one to four pods [20].Faba bean is partially allogamous (30%) with predominantly entomophilic pollination and a mixed mating system; the plant flowers abundantly, but the rate of the set is very low [27,29].Two types of faba bean varieties have been distinguished: the winter variety branched at its base has a long vegetative period and presents a certain level of resistance to cold, and the spring variety, generally with a single stem, has a fast vegetation rate and sensitivity to cold [30].

Life cycle
According to the life cycle of Vicia faba, its growth process can be divided into germination and plant stages [31].In general, the life cycle from sowing to harvest lasts about five months, with five main growth stages: Germination, emergence, vegetative development, and reproductive development, and pod and stem senescence (Figure 2) [32].Seed germination takes 10-14 days or more, depending on the soil conditions.Average plant growth is about one node per week and can reach 90-130 cm depending on the genotype.At the growth stage, there are eight to ten nodes.When the plant height reaches 30 cm, the first flowers appear, and approximately 25% of these flowers give rise to pods with three to six seeds [33].The different growth stages can be arranged in the following order: 1. Germination (appearance of the first rootlet and/or hypocotyl) 2. VE Emergence (epicotyl pushed through the soil) 3. VS Scaled leaves (two scaled leaves present above or below ground on the main stem) 4. V1 to Vn (first bifoliate leaf unfolded and node above ground)

Climatic and edaphic requirements of faba bean
Broad beans and faba beans are grown in a wide range of latitudes from the equator to almost 50 °N and 40 °S, and altitude from sea level to over 3,000 m [1].However, they have several climatic and edaphic requirements to achieve optimal yields.Despite their Mediterranean origin, faba beans have lower thermal requirements than other legumes (beans, peas, etc.).It is quite resistant to late frosts at -5°C [30].The ideal temperature for growth is between 21 and 27°C.However, hot and dry weather during the critical stages (flowering and grain filling) hinders crop development [27,30].Improving the resistance of faba bean will mitigate the damage caused by temperature change and ensure crop productivity [34,35].

Water
More than 40% reduction in faba bean yield worldwide between 1980 and 2014 can be attributed to a 65% reduction in water availability [36].Faba bean requires a regular water supply of more than 350 mm/year (650 to 1000 mm), particularly during the "early floweringsetting" phases.However, young seedlings cannot tolerate stagnant water [27,37].Efforts have been made to improve faba bean genetic resources with good drought tolerance [18,38].

Edaphic requirements
Faba bean is undemanding in terms of soil quality, as it can be grown on all soil types.However, it prefers cool, deep, drained, and humus-rich soils, with pH ranging from neutral to alkaline (pH 6.5 to 9.0) [27].On the other hand, it fears very dry soils (light sandy), and nodulation inhibition can be observed on acidic, too wet, and asphyxiating soils [11,30].

Cultural management of faba bean
Generally, it is suggested to plow the soil before sowing the beans to ensure better development of the root system and good rainwater infiltration [37].In Morocco, the sowing date of faba bean varied according to the agroclimatic zones (early sowing in coastal areas and late sowing in plains and mountains), but generally, the sowing took place from mid-October to the end of December 15 days after the first dry season rains [39].The sowing depth should be between 4 and 5 cm with a row spacing of 20 to 80 cm and a sowing rate between 80 and 180 kg/ha (between 10 and 15 faba bean plants per linear meter), depending on the variety, climatic zone, and sowing date.It is recommended that soil analyses be conducted before applying fertilizers, and that target yields be emphasized, taking into consideration that one ton of faba bean grain exports approximately 10 kg of potassium, 4 kg of phosphorus, 1.5 kg of sulfur, and 1.3 kg of calcium [37].Although faba bean is generally grown in "Bour," proper irrigation management practices, especially during critical stages (early branching, flowering, and gauss fill), can reduce the number of aborted flowers and improve faba bean yield [33].

Faba bean production 8.1 Worldwide production
Vicia faba L. is among the third-most important legumes of soybean and pea crops [31].It is considered a major crop in many countries (over 58 countries).According to the FAO, the global harvested area in 2020 covered approximately 2,671,497 hectares, so the dry seed production is approximately 5,669,185 tons.The main producing countries are China (1,723,598 million tons), Ethiopia (1,070,637 tons), and the United Kingdom (554,020 tons) (Figure 3) (agricultural statistics do not differentiate beans from faba beans) [4].Asia, Africa, Europe, and America accounted for 32.48 [4].Unfortunately, the African continent has experienced instability in yields from a maximum of 1.52 tons/ha in 1974 to a minimum of 0.16 tons/ha in 1993 (Figure 4).

Moroccan production
In 1970, Morocco was the world's leading exporter of dry beans, with an export value of 112,843 tons, compared to 30,000 tons for the second largest exporter (China).Unfortunately, this craze waned over time, becoming an importer in 1992 [4], importing about 9% of its annual needs to compensate for its production, with an import value of 28,779 tons (7th largest importer worldwide) (Figure 5) [4,14].

Importance of faba bean
Because of its history, distribution in various climatic regions, and genetic selection by humans, Vicia faba is now a versatile crop with diverse uses as a food, vegetable, fodder, cover crop, and as an important component in crop rotation [1].Faba beans are a crop with multiple importance, ranging from ethnic, traditional, and medicinal uses to economic, nutritional, and even environmental values (Figure 7).

Economic values of faba bean
Vicia faba is an important crop for income generation for smallholder farmers in Morocco [6].Which contributes to the development of the national economy [41].In 2019, Morocco ranked 17th after Estonia among exporting countries for vegetables, broad beans (Vicia faba var.major), and faba beans (Vicia faba var.equina and var.minor) with a trade value of 4126.07*103USD [42].However, the economic benefit of faba beans to the farming community must be accounted for across cropping systems by improving the productivity of subsequent crops in rotation or crops [8,16].

Nutritional and medicinal values of faba bean
Faba bean varieties are among the best-known and most consumed legumes in Morocco.Thus, cultivars of Vicia faba are grown to obtain grains for human and animal consumption [8].Faba bean seeds can be consumed in different forms (dry, soaked, roasted, frozen, etc.) as a main dish or as an ingredient in various traditional recipes [43].It represents a valuable source of various nutrients such as protein, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamin B, starch, vitamins and many bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds that have antioxidant activity for the prevention of chronic diseases [1,16,44]).The percentage of protein in seeds is 24-35%, with richness in arginine and lysine amino acids [45].Thus, seeds are characterized by high soluble fiber content with low-fat content.They are also rich in microelements including manganese, iron, zinc, and copper [6].Indeed, they contribute to improving human nutrition and health can lower the level of cholesterol in the blood, and control blood sugar [14].They are also used as a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease given their richness in l-3,4dihydroxyphenylalanine or L-Dopa (dopamine precursor) [33].However, to spread the use of faba bean in the human diet it is necessary to consider cultivars with fewer anti-nutritional factors such as trypsin inhibitors, phytiquel acid, vicine, saponins, and condensed tannins.Thus, the use of methods such as soaking, dehulling, germination, and/or fermentation can contribute to the reduction of anti-nutritional factors [46].

Agronomic and environmental values of faba bean
Legumes such as faba bean are plants whose atmospheric nitrogen-fixing properties provide approximately 90% of the plant's N requirements to increase soil fertility, thereby improving and enhancing the physical and biological properties of soils and the productivity of agricultural land [3,47].Legumes are architects of soil health that can be exploited as excellent cover crops; thus, they can solubilize phosphate, calcium, and phosphorus through root exudates [1].Diversification of cropping systems by introducing legumes through rotation, green manure, or intercropping can result in the disruption of disease, pest, and weed cycles and a potential increase in biodiversity through spatially diverse crop rotations and crop association [6,8].In addition, they play a key role in attracting and conserving the biodiversity of pollinators, such as wild bees, honeybees, and bumblebees [6].Legumes play a role in agricultural sustainability by contributing to climate change mitigation through their ability to reduce the overuse of synthetic fertilizers and fossil energy consumption [7,48].

Major constraints of faba bean production
In many countries, faba bean has been continuously subjected to various biotic and abiotic stresses, which have led to genetic erosion [14].However, the success of this crop under these conditions is difficult.In addition, traditional constraints such as poor mechanization and the presence of "non-nutritional" factors have affected the yield of this crop [49].Although each of these stresses is quite destructive when two or more stresses interact on the same plant, their combined effect becomes more severe, and the quality parameters of faba bean are negatively affected [50].

Abiotic stresses
Compared to other legumes, faba bean, and fava bean are considered the least droughtresistant [27].In Morocco, low yields are mainly due to drought (almost the entire area is grown in Bour) [51].Other major abiotic factors are high temperatures at the end of the season and salinity in some coastal areas [52].

Viral diseases
More than 50 viruses around the world affect faba beans.In the Mediterranean region, approximately 17 viruses are economically important and negatively affect faba bean production.Among the major viruses are Broad Bean Wilt Virus (BBWV), Broad Bean Mottle Virus (BBMV), Broad Bean Stain Virus (BBSV), and Bean Yellow Mosaic Virus (BYMV).The latter three viruses (BBMV, BBSV, and BYMV) were identified in the Meknes region in 1978 [55].

Pests
Faba bean is a host plant for a large number of insect pests (over 70 spp.)that collectively cause damage at all stages of plant development.These are bruchids (Bruchus rufimanus) that cause considerable losses during storage, and aphids (Aphis fabae) that directly affect both faba bean and faba bean by attacking the top of the plant before covering the entire aerial part, or indirectly by serving as vectors for the transmission of viral diseases [56].In addition, weevils (Sitona amurensis Faust and Sitona lineatus L.) can infect faba bean crops [24].In some Mediterranean areas, such as Morocco, the faba bean stem borer (Lixus algirus L.) is also considered to be one of the main biotic stresses associated with faba bean [57].

Weeds
Faba bean is very sensitive to weed competition [58].Weed infestation is a major constraint in production and can reduce yield by up to 50% [24], and even up to 80% [59].
Loudyi in Tanji [51] highlighted the impact of barren oats (Avena sterilis L.), field mustard (Sinapis arvensis L.), and other weeds on different food legume crops.Despite hand weeding, 20-50 weeds per square meter were counted at crop maturity.Even after one, two, three, or four hoeings, several weeds remain associated with bean crops until harvest [51].Similarly, broomrape (Orobanche crenata) is a very aggressive pest of faba bean crops in the Mediterranean basin, including North Africa, with yield losses ranging from 7 to 90% depending on infestation level and environmental factors [16,60].

Faba bean research in Morocco
By examining the literature in the Scopus database, 4,261 documents were found using the keyword "Faba bean," 55% of which belonged to studies related to agriculture.Research related to faba bean cultivation started in 1962 but remained very limited until 1980 when it gradually increased to reach its maximum (371 papers/year) in 2020 (Figure 8).Egypt is the world leader in scientific research attributed to the cultivation of Vicia faba, with 499 research papers in the Scopus database, which represents the 17th country in terms of scientific reproduction related to faba beans (Figure 9).Table 3 represents the abstracts of articles found in Scopus using the keywords "Faba bean" or "Vicia faba" and "Morocco".A total of 80 research papers were revealed and sorted by eliminating those that did not lead to at least some experimentation in Morocco (16 studies).Morocco started publishing on faba bean in 1987 [61], in the aspect related to the virus, but the speed of progress of research on faba bean in Morocco remains very low.Similarly, studies based on field experiments were limited (19 studies).Studies related to weed management are rare (two studies for non-parasitic weed species and four for broomrape).

Identification of molecular markers linked to herbicide tolerance genes in faba bean
Laboratory, greenhouse and field experiments

Research paper
Different molecular markers (acid endochitinase, serine/threonine protein kinase, malate dehydrogenase, etc.) were associated with herbicide tolerance traits of faba bean [62]

Field experiment
Research paper Maintenance of wildflower bunches is important to improve pollinator richness in farming systems with alternative pollinators [63] Research of an alternative biological approach to chemical and physical phosphorus

Field experiment
Research paper The biological techniques studied (phosphocompost) revealed promising results in terms of agronomic performance with yields superior to chemical and physical treatments [64]

Exploration of Lixus algirus pest of faba bean and its natural enemies in Morocco
Field survey Research paper The Gharb region was more infested with L. algirus than other regions.Three parasitoids (Chlorocytus lixi and Anaphes longicornis, and Cyanopterobracon), and one predator (Orius sp.) of Lixus algirus were found [65] Pollinator diversity in agroecosystem crops

Field survey
Research paper Zucchini, faba bean and eggplant host a high diversity of insect pollinators in Moroccan agroecosystems [66] Evaluating the feasibility of the association of faba beanwheat

Field experiment Data in brief
The data show the performance of intercropping compared with mono-cropping in the drylands of Morocco and Lebanon. [67]

Field experiment Research paper
Agriculture with alternative pollinators is an important approach to mitigate pollinator decline in Morocco [68,69] Valuing the fresh part of bean pods and their nutritional values

Field experiment Research paper
Fresh bean pods are rich in nutrients and bioactive substances enhancing their potential for use in human food [70]

Research paper
The study revealed a high genetic diversity of botrytis isolates with limited geographical influence [71]

Research paper
Sowing faba bean after the accumulation of 10 mm of water in the soil was proposed as an option to improve yield compared to the traditional sowing date (15 days after the first rains) [39]

Field survey Research paper
The bean was mentioned as a plant used in the treatment of cancer in the region of Fez-Meknes [72]

Research paper
Cereals and beans are detected since the Neolithic in Morocco [73,74]

Field experiment Research paper
The most susceptible cultivars were Defes and Alfia in comparison with the germplasm accessions IG 11561 and IG 72498, respectively.However, the IG 72498 accession showed the highest level of antibiosis against Lixus algirus [57] Simulation of the effect of supplemental irrigation on faba bean production

Research paper
The simulation revealed that 50 mm supplemental irrigation can significantly improve faba bean production in the MENA region [75]

Field experiment
Research paper Agroforestry showed benefits in improving the productivity of agricultural land [76] Study the role of rhizospheric microbiota of faba bean against microcystins

Research paper
Microcystins significantly inhibited the growth of faba bean compared to the control and those grown in soils inoculated with rhizospheric microbiota [77]

Field experiment Research paper
Different aspects of Lixus algirus were mentioned (biology, infestation depending on location, cultivar, and sowing dates, etc.) [78] Evaluate the response of Vicia Faba varieties to phosphorus supply under a water deficit

Research paper
Adequate and sufficient addition of phosphorus to faba bean cultivars can reduce the negative effects of water deficit [79] Effect of mulching on weed control

Field experiment Research paper
Mulching may be a promising alternative for managing weeds associated with the faba bean crop [80] Research on tools to evaluate the performance of wastewater treatment systems

Research paper
Significant physiological and genetic diversities have been observed.However, faba bean is often made a microsymbiosis with R. laguerreae [82] Study the metallic contamination of plants cultivated in an urban environment and their potential risk on humans

Research paper
Crops including fava beans in urban areas accumulate more heavy metals that may pose health risks to consumers [83] Comparison between the broomrape that parasitized the carrot and the one hosted by the bean and chickpea

Research paper
A great morphological and genetic variability has been observed between different parasitic plants (Orobanche crenata) [84] Evaluation of the effect of the amendment on two soil pathogens

Research paper
Solid phosphate sludge amendments significantly inhibited the growth of Verticillium dahliae and Rhizoctonia solani, especially the high concentrations that resulted in the lowest disease severity [85]

Valorisation of olive pomace
Greenhouse experiment

Research paper
Olive pomace has a positive effect on the growth and development of faba bean, especially those obtained by the biphasic extraction system given its richness in fertilizing elements [10] Treatment and valorization of wastewater from oil mills

Research paper
The treatment of wastewater from oil mills by adsorption on clay decreased its toxicity and showed an improvement in the germination of Lepidium sativum and the growth of Vicia faba [86] Study of the relationship between the faba bean/lentil and Orobanche crenata Forsk.

Research paper
Infection of cultivars by broomrape significantly reduces their host growth, especially in the early stages of development [60] Evaluate crop systems based on rotation or monoculture

Field experiment Research paper
Compared to cereal monoculture, the faba beanwheat rotation showed agronomic, ecological, and economic advantages [6] Screening of selected bean genotypes for resistance to the parasitic plant Orobanche

Research paper
The genotypes Giza 843, Misr1, and Misr3 have shown a high level of resistance against O. crenata especially Giza 843 which can be introduced in the faba bean breeding program [16] Evaluate the effect of rhizobacteria on the growth and nutrition of faba bean and wheat

Research paper
Rhizobacterial strains promoted phosphorus uptake and plant growth [87] Study of the effect of phosphate solubilizing bacteria and soil properties

Research paper
A strong correlation was recorded between the density of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria and total bacteria, total nitrogen, and soil organic matter [88]

Field survey
Research paper More than 80% loss of local varieties of vegetable crops has been reported in the last 30 years, especially tomato (total loss) [89]

Research paper
Many faba bean varieties were considered competitive against Sinapis alba used as a weed model due to their similarity to Sinapis arvensis [90] Study of the diversity of rhizobia associated with V. faba and their tolerance to abiotic stresses

Laboratory and greenhouse experimentations
Research paper A high diversity of rhizobia was identified and some strains were selected for their ability to improve the growth of faba bean under certain biotic stresses [9] To evaluate the specialization of broomrape towards some leguminous crops

Research paper
Considerable variation was observed within populations of Orobanche crenata, so faba bean was the most sensitive crop to Orobanche [91] To assess the potential of salicylic acid to circumvent salt stress in Vicia faba L.

Research paper
Soaking faba bean seeds before sowing with salicylic acid promoted more salinity tolerance by improving physiological processes and plant growth of V. faba L. [92] To study the effect of rhizobia on phosphate solubilization and growth of faba bean

Research paper
The rhizobium strains studied showed a significant ability to solubilize rock phosphate and a significant improvement in the growth of faba bean [93] To study the dating of domesticated plants

Research paper
Carbonized seeds of cereals and legumes including faba bean were found in Morocco and introduced between 5500 and 5000 BC [94] To study the genetic diversity and structure of Vicia faba and related wild species

Research paper
Significant genetic diversity was detected within the accessions studied with a clear difference between wild and cultivated plants [95] Study of the effect of phosphate solubilizing rhizobia and their symbiotic efficiency with faba bean

Laboratory and greenhouse experiments
Research paper Some rhizobium isolates showed a high capacity of phosphate solubilization and a high symbiotic efficiency with faba bean [96] To study N fixation by faba bean and its transfer to interplanted wheat

Research paper
Mycorrhizal inoculation enhanced plant growth and nitrogen acquisition in faba bean, but not in wheat.Intercropping stimulated mycorrhizal hyphae growth and improved N transfer from bean to wheat [97]

Research paper
Salinity negatively affects the germination and early growth of different faba bean varieties.The cultivars Aguadulce and Alfia 5 showed some degree of resistance against salinity

A A B
Data from Scopus in CSV format using the keywords "Faba bean" or "Vicia faba" were exported for further review and establishment of a faba bean-related bibliometric analysis network.VOSviewer software was used to perform a bibliometric analysis of the Scopus index keywords and the co-authorship distribution (Figure 10).A strong relationship was detected between the different Scopus index keywords related to Vicia faba in the exported documents.Six distinct colors have been revealed by bibliometric analysis from research papers on Vicia faba, namely those related to biochemistry (proteins, physicochemical properties, enzymes, etc.), animal (digestion, nutritional properties, diet, etc.), links between other crops (chickpeas, soybeans, nuts, etc.), genetics (phenotype, genome, protein expression, etc.), yield (rhizosphere, fungi, growth regulators, etc.), and toxicity (soil pollutants, cadmium, chromium, etc.).Furthermore, co-authorship related to research on Vicia faba on a global scale makes it possible to obtain a global perspective on the networks of cooperation.China was the country with the strongest relational network followed by Germany and then Egypt, while Morocco occupies the 9th place in the vigorous cooperation links, which were especially with Ethiopia and Canada (Figure 10).

Conclusion and perspectives
In conclusion, this review highlights the vast potential of Vicia faba in Moroccan agriculture.Despite its numerous benefits, the crop faces various challenges, including biotic and abiotic factors as well as limited research.Unlocking the full potential of faba bean in Morocco will require significant investment in research and development to better integrate it into cropping systems.With its exceptional nutritional, ethical, traditional, medicinal, agronomic, and environmental values, Vicia faba has the potential to contribute significantly to food security and sustainable agriculture in Morocco.
To maximize the ecological benefits of faba beans in Morocco, it is better to invest in scientific research.Therefore, an interesting research area should be focused on: • Identification of existing varieties/cultivars among local Moroccan cultivars resistant to pests, diseases, viruses, and weeds to avoid high levels of sensitivity • To seek to make the bean more acceptable from a nutritional point of view and to include it in the daily diet of the Moroccan population, despite all the good qualities, and by reducing tannins and anti-nutritional compounds • Integration of the faba bean crop into cereal-dominated cropping systems such as mixed cropping systems, agroforestry, and crop rotation • Identify economical and environmentally friendly control methods based on agroecological practices against biotic and abiotic stresses associated with bean cultivation • To study the effect of rhizobium inoculation and to search for elite strains of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, especially in areas without prior faba bean cultivation • Evaluate the role of Vicia faba in the sustainability of Moroccan agroecosystems • To help and sensitize farmers and stakeholders on the importance of grain legumes in agroecosystems • Strengthen links and cooperation networks, especially with leading countries in the production of food legumes • Change short-sighted agricultural policies based on agricultural intensification systems in cereal monocultures

Acknowledgment
The authors would like to thank all researchers who participated in the studies included in this review for their efforts in contributing to sustainable and resilient agricultural systems, specifically in the Moroccan context.

Fig. 1 .
Fig. 1.The aerial part of faba bean in the flowering stage.

Fig. 5 .
Fig. 5. Quantities of dry beans imported by the top 10 importing countries in 2020.

Fig. 8 .
Fig. 8. Number of articles found in Scopus using the keyword "Faba bean".

Fig. 9 .
Fig. 9. Number of articles per country found in Scopus using the keyword "Faba bean".

[ 98 ]Fig. 10 .
Fig. 10.Bibliometric analysis of searches related to Vicia faba in the Scopus database based on index keywords (A) and the distribution of co-authorship of countries in the world (B).

Table 1 .
List of Vicia faba var.major registered in the official catalog of Morocco.

Table 2 .
List of Vicia faba var.minor registered in the official catalog of Morocco.

Table 3 .
Synthesis of studies on faba bean found in the literature of the Scopus database in Morocco.