Culture selected somaclonal variants showing low-ODAP and high protein content in nineteen grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) genotypes

Abstract

To develop low-ODAP grass pea genotypes with high protein content, in vitro tissue culture techniques were used for inducing somaclonal variation through internode explants that was cultured on B5 medium containing 2 mg L− l α-naphthaleneacetic acid and 1 mg L− l 6-benzylaminopurine of 19 grass pea genotypes. The selected somaclones (R3 and R4 generations) were evaluated for variation in ODAP, protein, and quantitative agronomic traits. The results showed statistically significant (P < 0.001) genotypic differences for ODAP %, Protein %, 100-seed weight (HSW) and pod width (PODW) in the R4 somaclones under field conditions. The somaclones showed broad-sense heritability estimate of 0.14 ± 0.064 for ODAP%, 0.87 ± 0.015 for protein, 0.78 ± 0.025 for HSW and 0.13 ± 0.062 for PODW. Among the 270 somaclones, Sel462-5 was significantly superior to the parent and other somaclones in terms of ODAP content (0.13%), protein content (28.47%) and pod width (1.43 cm). The correlation coefficients between parents and somaclones for pod width with 100-seed weight, ODAP-clones and protein-clones were positive and significant. The superiority of somaclones for ODAP, protein, 100-seed weight and pod width in R4 generation opened the possibility for grass pea improvement through somaclonal variation. Induction of somaclonal variation in grass pea is an alternate approach to introduce new and desirable genetic variability in the cultivated gene pool.