Horticultural Evaluation of Eight Foliage Types of Peas Near-isogenic for the Genes af, tl and st1

Abstract

Abstract Eight foliage types of pea (Pisum sativum L.) were tested as near-isogenic lines of 8 cultivers and experimental lines for 2 years at 2 locations. Three blends of those foliage types were also tested at 1 location. Modifications of the pea foliage were determined by the action of the genes af (leaflets changed to tendrils), tl (tendrils changed to leaflets), and st (reduced stipule size). Shelled pea yields of the altered foliage types in pure stands were similar to normal except for the afaf TITI stst and afaf tltl stst types, which had reduced yields. The afaf TITl StSt and afaf TITI stst types had superior standing ability, and had less blonding of shelled peas. Yield was positively correlated with leaf area and harvest index. Blonding of shelled peas was positively correlated with leaf area. One of 2 foliage types with the most favorable performance for the 23 horticultural characteristics measured had many small leaflets (afaf tltl StSt), while the other had tendrils instead of leaflets (afaf TITI StSt). The all-tendril foliage type (afaf TITI StSt), either in pure stand or in a blend with another type, appears to have the most potential for replacing the normal foliage type.