Seed microstructure and genetic variation of characters in selected grass-pea mutants
(Lathyrus sativus L.)
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1
Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, 60-479 Poznań, Poland
2
Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Division of Food Science, Polish Academy of Sciences, Tuwima 10,
10-747 Olsztyn, Poland
Int. Agrophys. 2006, 20(4): 317-326
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Significant differences in a mutant form of Polish
grass-pea obtained from parental cultivars Derek and Krab by
chemomutagenesis were shown. Agricultural properties of plants
(plant height, number of branches, number of pods per plant and
their length and width, as well as number and weight of seeds per
pod and maturity), geometrical features of mature seeds, and their
microstructure were investigated. It was shown that the range of
traits for the analysed features of mutants exceeded the variation
observed for the original cultivars - Krab and Derek. This is
especially visible for such yield structure traits as pod number per
plant, seed number and weight per pod. From the agricultural point
of view, very promising are mutants with reduced plant height and
biomass, decreased number of lateral branches, improved lodging resistance
and earliness. Analyses of technological usability factors
(harvesting, drying, storage) involved assays of seed coat thickness
and cotyledone cell microstructure. The obtained results are of key
importance to the selection of the most promising material for
further genetic trials and breeding practice.