Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization and Correlation Analysis of Pea ( Pisum sativum L.) Diversity Panel

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization were performed to assess heritability, variability, and seed yield stability of pea genotypes used in breeding to increase the pea production area. A European pea diversity panel, including genotypes from North America, Asia, and Australia consisting of varieties, breeding lines, pea, and landraces was examined in 2019 and 2020 in Serbia and Belgium using augmented block design. The highest heritability was for thousand seed weight; the highest coefficient of variation was for seed yield. The highest positive correlation was between number of seeds per plant and number of pods per plant; the highest negative correlation was between seed yield and protein content. Hierarchical clustering separated pea germplasm based on use and type. Different Principal component analysis grouping of landraces, breeding lines, and varieties, as well as forage types and garden and dry peas, confirms that there was an apparent decrease in similarity between the genotypes, which can be explained by their different purposes. Pea breeding should be focused on traits with consistent heritability and a positive effect on seed yield when selecting high-yielding genotypes, and on allowing for more widespread use of pea in various agricultural production systems

An Integrated Linkage Map of Three Recombinant Inbred Populations of Pea (Pisum sativum L.)

Biparental recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations are sets of genetically stable lines and have a simple population structure that facilitates the dissection of the genetics of interesting traits. On the other hand, populations derived from multiparent intercrosses combine both greater diversity and higher numbers of recombination events than RILs. Here, we describe a simple population structure: a three-way recombinant inbred population combination. This structure was easy to produce and was a compromise between biparental and multiparent populations. We show that this structure had advantages when analyzing cultivar crosses, and could achieve a mapping resolution of a few genes

Interspecific hybridisation of white clover and Caucasian clover confers grazing tolerance

The rhizomatous growth habit of Caucasian clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.) has been introgressed into a white clover (T. repens L.) background by interspecific hybridisation and a programme of backcrossing and selection. Previous studies have demonstrated the utility of such hybrids in improving persistence in marginal areas through enhanced tolerance of water stress. In the present study the response of these hybrids to grazing was investigated. Dry matter yield and persistence of hybrids was compared with the performance of conventional white clover varieties. The results of the study indicate that T. ambiguum * T. repens hybrids show enhanced persistence under grazing. It is postulated that this enhanced persistence is conferred by the presence of rhizomes in the hybrid