Impact of grasspea genotypes and sowing dates on seed &#946-ODAP concentration and agronomic traits.

Grasspea (Lathyrus sativus) is an important food legume crop in Ethiopia. However, its nutritional value ishindered by β-ODAP that causes lathyrism in humans. The extent of toxicity is influenced by genetic andagronomic factors.We conducted an experiment to determine the effect of varieties and sowing dates on the β-ODAP content of the seeds and other yield components. Two varieties, Bio-520 and landrace, were planted onJuly 24, August 7 and 21, and September 4 in the 2001-02 and 2002-03 cropping seasons. Grasspea variety andseason, significantly influenced β-ODAP content of the seeds.The highly significant variety x season interactionssuggests that varieties behave differently in different seasons for their β-ODAP content. The main effects andinteractions were highly significant for days-to-flowering and plant height. Although β-ODAP content of thevarieties varied with season, the improved genotype always contained less β-ODAP concentration.Thus, whilethe development of low-toxin grasspea lines is the primary goal, modifying agronomic practices is also importantto mitigate lathyrism.Key Words: Ethiopia, Lathyrus sativus, Lathyrism, neurotoxi

Grass pea

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a multipurpose robust grain legume crop with high nutritional value and a great potential for utilization in harsh environments. This robust crop is rightly considered as a model for sustainable agriculture. However, as a result of little breeding efforts when compared to other legume crops, grass pea potential has been underexploited. The growing interest in its use in Mediterranean-type environments, all over the world, is boosting a change. In this chapter, we review the presently available genetic resources, major breeding achievements and recent biotechnological approaches used in the improvement of grass pea, highlighting the necessary changes in grass pea research to provide a brighter future to this highly potential crop.Peer reviewe