Abstract
The variation of protein content and correlations between protein content and agronomic traits were studied on materials in variety trials over five years and at two locations in southern Finland. Protein content and protein yield of a given genotype varied widely in different years. High temperature during the growing season was the main climate factor influencing protein content. Statistically significant variation in protein content was found between different genotypes. Correlations between protein content and seed yield were weak, negatively significant in only two years. The relationship between seed weight and protein content was negative in all years. Late maturity was positively associated with protein content in all years and at both locations. It is suggested that breeding for protein productivity in northern conditions it is more effective to improve seed yield and yield stability than to attempt improving protein content.
Highlights
Leguminous plants play an increasingly important role in modern agriculture
The coefficients of variation of protein yield and seed yield are much higher than that of the protein content, which indicates that protein yield and seed yield are very sensitive in their reactions to variable climatic conditions
The fairly similar values for variation of protein yield and seed yield indicated that under Finnish conditions protein productivity depends much more on seed yield than on protein content
Summary
Leguminous plants play an increasingly important role in modern agriculture. In the search for a crop plant yielding a high level of seed protein at a low energy cost, such traits as the ability to fix nitrogen biologically and to yield abundant protein simultaneously are of crucial importance to countries like Finland, because their agricultural production is based on imported energy (see e.g. VARIS 1981).Peas are the most important grain legumes in Finland. Leguminous plants play an increasingly important role in modern agriculture. In the search for a crop plant yielding a high level of seed protein at a low energy cost, such traits as the ability to fix nitrogen biologically and to yield abundant protein simultaneously are of crucial importance to countries like Finland, because their agricultural production is based on imported energy Peas are the most important grain legumes in Finland. The cultivation of peas for fodder and cooking is beset by various climatic problems, and annual variations in cultivation area and average yield are considerable (HOVINEN and KARJALAINEN 1981). The variation of protein content in peas is wide, and it is affected by genetic and environmental factors such as soil fertility, fertilization, water sypply, microclimate, alterations of weather conditions, macroclimatic conditions, and latitude The main goal behind our breeding programs is to improve cultivation stability by improving earlincss, seed yield, and resistance to lodging and diseases, which are decisive characters under northern growing conditions (KIVI 1978, 1979).
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