Cotyledon Color Research Articles

Morphological characterization of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) criollo type in Mexico

Objective: Achieve the morphological characterization of Criollo-type cocoa from Mexico. Design/methodology/approach: For morphological characterization, 17 Criollo-type cocoa accessions and 30 varietal descriptors were proposed by Avendaño et al., (2014), and this was carried out on five-year-old trees in the Rosario Izapa Experimental Field of INIFAP during two production cycles. Results: With the first three principal components, 47.3% of the variation was explained and the variables that most explained this variation were the color of the young leaf, anthocyanin pigmentation of the pedicel, basal constriction of the fruit, shape of the fruit apex and length/diameter ratio of the fruit; sepal length, sepal width length, fruit length, fruit exocarp thickness, seed width, seed length/diameter ratio and cotyledon color. The cluster analysis allowed us to differentiate two groups where the color of the unripe fruit was one of the descriptors that contributed the most to forming the groups. Limitations on study/implications: Knowledge of the diversity of Mexican Criollo-type cocoas allows for establishing strategies for conserving and using this type of cocoa. Findings/conclusions: In Mexico, the Criollo cacao genetic group presents a wide morphological variation in the descriptors of leaf, flower, fruit and seed. The shape of the apex of the leaf, the anthocyanin pigmentation in the flower, the color in the mature and immature state, and the shape and basal constriction of the fruit, as well as the color of the cotyledon, are the descriptors that allowed us to differentiate the Criollo cocoas studied.

Reference genome sequence and population genomic analysis of peas provide insights into the genetic basis of Mendelian and other agronomic traits.

Peas are essential for human nutrition and played a crucial role in the discovery of Mendelian laws of inheritance. In this study, we assembled the genome of the elite vegetable pea cultivar 'Zhewan No. 1' at the chromosome level and analyzed resequencing data from 314 accessions, creating a comprehensive map of genetic variation in peas. We identified 235 candidate loci associated with 57 important agronomic traits through genome-wide association studies. Notably, we pinpointed the causal gene haplotypes responsible for four Mendelian traits: stem length (Le/le), flower color (A/a), cotyledon color (I/i) and seed shape (R/r). Additionally, we discovered the genes controlling pod form (Mendelian P/p) and hilum color. Our study also involved constructing a gene expression atlas across 22 tissues, highlighting key gene modules related to pod and seed development. These findings provide valuable pea genomic information and will facilitate the future genome-informed improvement of pea crops.

Morphological Characterization and Diversity Analysis in Pea Germplasm

An experiment was conducted to identify the diverse morphological breeding lines. A total of Fifty-two germplasm lines were characterized morphologically as per DUS guidelines, and Shannon’s diversity indices (mean value=0.612) were estimated using Microsoft Excel. The results revealed that maximum variability and diversity were present in foliage color, pod intensity of green color, seed cotyledon color and plant height. Minimum variability was reported for stem anthocyanin colouration, seed testa mottling, leaf axial color and flower standard petal color. The traits of foliage waxy bloom and stipule type were present in all the genotypes. Stem anthocyanin coloration, seed testa mottling, flower standard petal color, and leaf axial color were unique traits and were reported in only a few of the genotypes. It may be concluded that these traits would be considered diverse morphological traits during the selection of lines in segregating generations for the development of pea lines /Variety.

Diversity Among Yellow Seeded Common Beans in Tanzania

Common bean is globally the most important leguminous crop for direct human consumption. In Tanzania, it is the most inter-cropped leguminous crop especially with maize. Characterization of common beans is important for genetic improvement and ex-situ germplasm conservation since it allows identification and awareness of key features of the genotypes. The common beans grown in Tanzania are of different seed colours such as red, red mottled, grey, white, yellow, brown etc. Yellow bean is one of the most traded bean types in Tanzania but there is limited information on diversity of the varieties cultivated across the country. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the diversity of yellow seeded common beans found in Tanzania. The study was carried out at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania in 2022. Thirty-two yellow bean genotypes collected from different regions of Tanzania were assessed for diversity using quantitative and qualitative traits. The trials were carried out in the screen house and on the open field. The data collected were subjected to analysis of variance, cluster, principal component, and correlation analyses. Sixteen genotypes were characterized as determinate plant type while the remaining sixteen were classified as indeterminate. About 75% of the genotypes had cuboid shape while 12.5% had kidney and oval shapes. About 78% of the genotypes were dominated by green cotyledon colour while 90% had white hypocotyls colour. The cluster analysis grouped the genotypes into five groups in both field and screen house. The first four principal components accounted for 51.8% of the variation observed on the field and 61.9% in the screen house. There were strong correlations among many important traits which will allow indirect selection for some complex traits. The positive correlation observed between number of locules and number of seed per pod (r = 0.87) indicates that number of locules can be used to determine the density and seed yield. There was high level of diversity among the yellow bean genotypes evaluated in this study for quantitative and qualitative traits. The scientific information obtained from this study will be useful in breeding programmes for improvement of yellow seeded beans in Tanzania for the traits.

Comprehensive compositional assessment of bioactive compounds in diverse pea accessions

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is an important legume crop providing a good source of protein, vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds with health benefits for humans. In this study, an improved method for simultaneous analysis of multiple phytoestrogens among 100 pea accessions was developed. Ipriflavone, (a synthetic isoflavone), was used as an internal standard for the semiquantitative analysis of 17 phytoestrogens including isoflavone aglycones and conjugates, allowing direct analysis of isoflavones in their naturally occurring forms. This comprehensive dataset demonstrated that the isoflavones varied greatly and some accessions tended to have high levels of multiple phytoestrogens among the 100 accessions analyzed. Isoliquiritigenin followed by glycitein were the predominant compounds detected in the accessions and showed the highest correlation with the total phytoestrogens content. Secoisolariciresinol content was consistently higher in yellow cotyledon peas than in green cotyledon peas, whereas the contents of coumestrol, genestein and secoisolariciresinol were significantly correlated with seed coat color. The total phenolics and saponins showed a wide range of variability among the accessions with higher concentrations of total phenolics observed in seeds with pigmented seed coat or yellow cotyledon seeds, suggesting the synthesis of saponins and phenolics are significantly affected by metabolic pathway genes controlling cotyledon color or seed coat color. This study profiled the variability of bioactive compounds of pea seed quality traits in diverse pea accessions and provides an immense resource for continued research, breeding and selection of genotypes for a wide range of applications.

Natural variations and geographical distributions of seed carotenoids and chlorophylls in 1 167 Chinese soybean accessions

Understanding the composition and contents of carotenoids in various soybean seed accessions is important for their nutritional assessment. This study investigated the variability in the concentrations of carotenoids and chlorophylls and revealed their associations with other nutritional quality traits in a genetically diverse set of Chinese soybean accessions comprised of cultivars and landraces. Genotype, planting year, accession type, seed cotyledon color, and ecoregion of origin significantly influenced the accumulation of carotenoids and chlorophylls. The mean total carotenoid content was in the range of 8.15–14.72 µg g–1 across the ecoregions. The total carotenoid content was 1.2-fold higher in the landraces than in the cultivars. Soybeans with green cotyledons had higher contents of carotenoids and chlorophylls than those with yellow cotyledons. Remarkably, lutein was the most abundant carotenoid in all the germplasms, ranging from 1.35–37.44 µg g–1. Carotenoids and chlorophylls showed significant correlations with other quality traits, which will help to set breeding strategies for enhancing soybean carotenoids without affecting the other components. Collectively, our results demonstrate that carotenoids are adequately accumulated in soybean seeds, however, they are strongly influenced by genetic factors, accession type, and germplasm origin. We identified novel germplasms with the highest total carotenoid contents across the various ecoregions of China that could serve as the genetic materials for soybean carotenoid breeding programs, and thereby as the raw materials for food sectors, pharmaceuticals, and the cosmetic industry.

Capturing hybrid vigor for lentil breeding

AbstractConventional breeding has produced low levels of yield increase in lentils (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris Medik.) in recent decades. As hybrids have led to large increases in yield in other crops, we examined the possibility of using hybrids in lentils. In 52 hybrids between Australian commercial cultivars and lines from a global collection of cultivated and wild accessions, we found 15 of the hybrids had seed yield hybrid vigor, with better parent heterosis (BPH) gains ranging from 10.4 to 125%. Flowering time, seed size, cotyledon color, and branch number were important but not critical for the level of hybrid vigor in seed yield. Plant height at 28 days post sowing (dps) could be an indicator of seed yield vigor of hybrids grown in glasshouse conditions. In the absence of male sterile lines in lentils, we used high‐yielding hybrid combinations in a program of repeated selfing and selection to produce stable, high‐yielding lines (Hybrid Mimics) with grain yields similar to the F1 hybrids, avoiding the limitation of the hybrid advantage to the F1 generation. Seed yield increased in successive generations (F3–F5); yields of the F4 plants were close to that of the F1 hybrid. Our results indicate that there is potential for hybrid seed yield vigor in lentil to be accessed through hybrid mimic selection. This is a breeding method not dependent on male sterility that can be initiated with a low number of hand‐pollinated hybrids. Hybrid mimic breeding may be applicable to a wide range of crops.

Merging genotyping-by-sequencing data from two ex situ collections provides insights on the pea evolutionary history.

Pea (Pisum sativum L. subsp. sativum) is one of the oldest domesticated species and a widely cultivated legume. In this study, we combined next generation sequencing (NGS) data referring to two genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) libraries, each one prepared from a different Pisum germplasm collection. The selection of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci called in both germplasm collections caused some loss of information; however, this did not prevent the obtainment of one of the largest datasets ever used to explore pea biodiversity, consisting of 652 accessions and 22 127 markers. The analysis of population structure reflected genetic variation based on geographic patterns and allowed the definition of a model for the expansion of pea cultivation from the domestication centre to other regions of the world. In genetically distinct populations, the average decay of linkage disequilibrium (LD) ranged from a few bases to hundreds of kilobases, thus indicating different evolutionary histories leading to their diversification. Genome-wide scans resulted in the identification of putative selective sweeps associated with domestication and breeding, including genes known to regulate shoot branching, cotyledon colour and resistance to lodging, and the correct mapping of two Mendelian genes. In addition to providing information of major interest for fundamental and applied research on pea, our work describes the first successful example of integration of different GBS datasets generated from ex situ collections – a process of potential interest for a variety of purposes, including conservation genetics, genome-wide association studies, and breeding.

Optical Properties of Lentil Seed Coats Using Fiber-Optic Spectroscopy

HighlightsA fiber-optic spectroscopy system was set up and validated for measurement of optical properties of lentil seed coat.Light transmission properties of major lentil seed coat types were measured to evaluate their protective ability.Light transmission was detected mainly in the UVA and visible regions in all seed coat types except zero tannin.The protective abilities differed depending on seed coat type (important in breeding for cotyledon protection).Abstract. The light transmission of 20 lentil genotypes, representing six color classes (black, green, tan, brown grey, and zero tannin) was investigated to determine the degree to which seed coats prevent light transmission and possible photodegradation of cotyledon color. A fiber-optic spectroscopy system was set up for measurement; it consisted a deuterium-halogen light source, spectrometer, fiber-optic incidence and transmission probes, and sample holders. The nadir-aligned transmission spectra were measured in wavelength ranges of 250 to 850 nm. To study variability in light transmission of the different seed coat types, the curves were integrated in three wavelength regions to obtain Cumulative UV Transmission (CUVT, 250 to 400 nm), Cumulative VIS Transmission (CVIST, 401 to 700 nm), and Cumulative NIR Transmission (CNIRT, 701 to 850 nm), respectively. Tests for significant differences in light transmission were then done using analysis of variance (ANOVA) via General Linear Modelling and Posthoc GLM Tukey tests. Results showed that all the seed coat types, except zero tannin, showed no detectable transmission of UV light from 250 to 315 nm. Black seed coats showed detectable transmission from 615 to 850 nm, while other seed coat types transmitted varying percentages of light from 315 to 850 nm. The results of ANOVA showed that there were significant (p<0.05) differences in light transmission properties of the major seed coat types. Keywords: Fiber optics, Lentils, Light transmission, Pulse quality, Spectroscopy, Seed coat.

Classification of Grain s and Quality Analysis u sing Deep Learning

There are various varieties of Rice and lentils. Price fabrication and adulteration have been some of the various issues faced by the consumers, farmers and wholesale retailers. Traditional methods for Identification of these similar types of grains and their quality analysis are crude and inaccurate. Methods were tried to implemented earlier but due to financial inability and low efficiency, they weren’t successful. To overcome this problem, the project proposes a method that uses a machine learning technique for identification and quality analysis of these grains. Rice and Lentils which have the maximum consumption have been selected. Lentils are designated into classes based on colors. The technique of determining the elegance of a lentil is with the aid of seed coat shade. Red lentils can be confirmed through the cotyledon coloration. Lentil types may also have a huge variety of seed coat colors from inexperienced, red, speckled inexperienced, black and tan. The cotyledon colour may be red, yellow or inexperienced. The size and color of every Indian Lentil type (i.e. Red, Green, and Yellow, Black, White) are decided to be large or Medium or small, then size and colour end up part of the grade name. An smart machine is used to perceive the kind of Indian lentils from bulk samples. The proposed machine allows kernel length and coloration size using picture processing techniques. These Lentil size measurements, when combined with color attributes of the sample, classify three lentil varieties commonly grown in India with the highest accuracy. Rice is one of most consumed grains in India so its quality is of utmost importance. In this project, we identify and grade five types of rice and grade them with the help of their distinguished features such as size, color, shape, and surface. The project works in three phases viz., Feature Extraction, Training, and Testing. Various rice grain has a different shape, size, surface and various lentils come in different colors, Hence the feature that will be extracted is texture and colors. The method of regression will be adopted for the grading mechanism where the output will be in terms of percentage purity. The methodology for the extraction of the feature will be GLCM and Edge Detection where for supervised learning SVM and Back Propagation will be utilized. The project provides an efficient replacement for the traditional grading mechanism and standardizes the pricing of farm products based on their quality only.

SOME CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL QUALITIES OF COLD-ADAPTED PROMISING WALNUT GENOTYPES:TURKEY, BINGOL REGION

The objective of the present study was to examine some physical and chemical shell and kernel attributes of promising walnut types selected from Bingol province in Turkey. Bingol province possesses a rich walnut population almost all of which are seedling-grown. Shell cracking resistance, kernel firmness, kernel percentage, pellicle and cotyledon color, total oil ratio, total phenol content, and antioxidant capacity as DPPH were analyzed and evaluated. Shell cracking resistance ranged from 8.73 to 34.83 kgf with an average value of 17.96 kgf. Kernel firmness was found to range from 0.87 to 1.34 kgf. Lightness (L*) of pellicle was in range of 47.06 and 63.01 while yellowness (b*) in the range of 25.02 and 31.98. Lightness (L*) of cotyledon changed mildly from 70.76 to 76.47 with a mean of 73.57 while cotyledon yellowness was in the range of 25.49 and 30.34. Total oil ratio was found to vary between 45.04 and 56.88%. Total phenol content was in the range of 80.97 and 142.91 mg.kg-1 with average value of 118.12 mg.kg-1. The DPPH free radical scavenging capacity of the genotypes vaguely varied from 64.14 to 70.52% with a mean of 69.04%. Finding especially shell cracking index, kernel percentage and pellicle color may contribute to walnut improvement programs.

Evaluating the effect of light exposure and seed coat on lentil cotyledon color by computer vision

AbstractA computer vision system and color analysis algorithms were employed to study the influence of UVA (ultraviolet‐A) and visible light on the color of lentils with red, green, and yellow cotyledons. Twenty samples of cotyledons from each of the three‐color classes were subjected to six light treatments (ultraviolet, full‐spectrum visible, red, green, blue, and dark control) for 7 days at room temperature. The International Commission on Illumination L*a*b* (CIE L*a*b*) color values of the individual seeds were obtained before and after each treatment using the computer vision and image analysis system. Results of the analysis showed that light exposure had a statistically significant effect on all three cotyledon color classes. The effect size was largest for green lentils, smaller in yellow, and least in red lentils. By having established that light exposure affects the color of lentil cotyledons, it was hypothesized that seed coats may protect cotyledons against the effects of light exposure and that the degree of protection would vary with seed coat color classification. This hypothesis was tested using green‐cotyledon lentil varieties with different seed coat classes. Results confirmed that light‐induced color loss in the cotyledons was significantly influenced by seed‐coat color class. The order of protective effect of lentil seed coat from least to highest was found to be as follows: gray‐zero tannin, green, normal gray, and black. Thus, breeding for seed coat protection may improve the overall quality of green lentils. The results from this study will be informative to breeding programs that focus on enhancing the cotyledon color of lentils, and in making decisions regarding the dehulling of lentils and the design of dehulled lentil materials handling.

Early-stage dark treatment promotes hypocotyl elongation associated with varying effects on yield and quality in sunflower and arugula microgreens

Microgreens growing under electric (artificial) lighting in controlled environments often have short hypocotyls, which can be difficult for machine harvest. To investigate whether early-stage dark treatment can promote hypocotyl elongation without compromising microgreen yield and quality, two different seed-size species, sunflower (Helianthus annuus ‘Black oil’) and arugula (Eruca sativa ‘Rocket’), were tested. Seeds of sunflower and arugula were sown in pots, and the pots were placed inside support trays. During the first 5 days after seeding, half of the pots per species within each tray were covered with an upside-down black tray as dark treatment, and another half were kept under light. The light treatment was provided by continuous (24-h) lighting with a combination of red (85%) and blue (15%) light-emitting diodes at a photosynthetic photo flux density of around 100 μmol·m−2·s−1. After 5 days of dark treatment, the black covers were removed and the plants were grown under the above lighting treatment till harvesting. The microgreens were harvested at 7 d and 12 d after seeding for sunflower and arugula, respectively. Early-stage dark treatment promoted hypocotyl elongation by 26% and 28% for sunflower and arugula, respectively. Microgreen yield was increased by 13% for sunflower and reduced by 24% for arugula under dark treatment. Dark treatment increased cotyledon succulence by 14% for sunflower, but reduced cotyledon size by about 25% for arugula despite increases in red color and succulence of arugula hypocotyls. For both species, cotyledon color and soluble solids content were not affected by dark treatment.

Differences in Cotyledon Color and Harvest Period Affect the Contents of Major Isoflavones and Anthocyanins in Black Soybeans

Several environmental and genetic factors affect the isoflavone and anthocyanin contents in soybeans. This study aimed to assess the influences of cotyledon color and harvest period on the contents of five major isoflavones and three major anthocyanins in 323 black soybean landraces grown in Korea. In all the soybeans, malonylgenistin, malonyldaidzin and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside were the foremost components. The total isoflavone (TIC) and total anthocyanin (TAC) contents were in the ranges of 491.29-1998.39 μg/g and 452.60-2789.37 mg/100 g on dry weight basis, respectively. Both the average TIC and TAC were higher in green cotyledon soybeans (1493.93 μg/g and 1656.05 mg/100 g, respectively) than in yellow cotyledon soybeans (1423.09 μg/g and 1489.30 mg/100 g, respectively). With respect to the harvest period, the average TIC was in the order of Late-October (1517.31 μg/g) > Mid-October (1454.54 μg/g) > Early-October (1340.95 μg/g). Moreover, the average TAC decreased in the order of Late-October (1765.76 mg/100 g) > Mid-October (1503.93 mg/100 g) > Early-October (1350.91 mg/100 g). In general, cotyledon color appeared to cause a significant variation on TAC (P 1800 μg/g) and TAC (> 2000 mg/100 g) in their seeds and hence, could be considered as important sources of dietary isoflavones and anthocyanins. Besides, they possibly provide a wide spectrum of options if considered during the development of improved soybean genotypes.

Breeding of Black Soybean with Green Cotyledon and Four Recessive Alleles for Lipoxygenase, Kunitz Trypsin Inhibitor, Lectin, and Stachyose

Anthocyanins from the black soybean seed coat are known to have many pharmaceutical effects. However, black soybean seed contains antinutritional factors such as lipoxygenase, Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI), lectin, and stachyose. The genetic removal of these components will improve the nutritional value of black soybean seed. The objective of this research was to breed a soybean strain with the black seed coat color, green cotyledon color, and tetra recessive allele (lox1lox2lox3/lox1lox2lox3-ti/ti-le/le-rs2/rs2) for lipoxygenase, KTI, lectin, and stachyose components. Eight parents were used to breed the tetra null strain. Analysis of lipoxygenase, KTI, lectin, and stachyose components in mature seeds was conducted by SDS-PAGE, Western blot, and HPLC. The soybean line with the black seed coat color, the green cotyledon color, a large seed size, and tetra recessive alleles has purple flowers, a determinate growth habit, and brown pods at maturity. The stem height of the breeding line was 52.3 cm. The 100-seed weight of the breeding line was 35.2 g and the yield (Ton/ha) was 2.50. The stachyose content of the breeding line was 3.30 g/kg. This is the first soybean strain with the black seed coat color, the green cotyledon color, a large seed size, and tetra null alleles (lox1lox2lox3/lox1lox2lox3-ti/ti-le/le-rs2/rs2, low content of stachyose, free of lipoxygenase, KTI, and lectin proteins).

AAC Lorlie maple pea

AAC Lorlie is a maple pea variety developed at Lacombe Research and Development Centre of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. It has large seeds with a 1000-seed weight of 236–269 g. The seed coat colour of AAC Lorlie has mottled brown patterns on a light sage background and cotyledon colour of AAC Lorlie is yellow. The variety reaches maturity 100–101 d after seeding. It has a pre-harvesting lodging score of 5.4–6.6 on a 0–9 scale. The variety is resistant to powdery mildew caused by Erysiphe pisi Syd.

Overnight Supplemental Blue, Rather than Far-red, Light Improves Microgreen Yield and Appearance Quality without Compromising Nutritional Quality during Winter Greenhouse Production

To determine whether supplemental blue light (B) or far-red light (FR) overnight can promote microgreen elongation to facilitate machine harvesting and improve microgreen quality and yield, two common microgreen species, mustard (Brassica juncea) and arugula (Eruca sativa), were grown in a greenhouse in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, during January 2019. Low-intensity (14 μmol·m−2·s−1) B or FR was applied to microgreens overnight from 1730 hr to 0630 hr, and no supplemental lighting (D) was used as a control. After 2 weeks of light treatments, B compared to D promoted stem elongation by 16% and 10%, respectively, and increased crop yield by 32% and 29%, respectively, in mustard and arugula. B compared to D also increased the cotyledon area in mustard and leaf mass per area in arugula and enhanced cotyledon color in both species despite having no effects on total chlorophyll, carotenoid, and phenolic contents. However, FR did not increase stem length or fresh weight compared with D, reduced plant height compared with B in both species, and reduced the cotyledon area in arugula. FR, compared with D and B, reduced the stem diameter and phytochemical contents of both species. Therefore, low-intensity B can be applied overnight for winter greenhouse microgreen production because of its beneficial effects on appearance quality and crop yield without negatively affecting nutritional quality.

A feature collection of lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) by nutritious value of seeds

The study purpose was to summarize and analyze multi-year data on the nutritional quality of lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) accessions from the basic collection of the National Center for Plant Genetic Resources of Ukraine (NCPGRU).Materials and methods. In 1992–2018, 555 accessions of the NCPGRU’s basic collection of lentils were studied. Lens culinaris Medik. accessions were represented by two subspecies: subsp. microsperma and subsp. macrosperma.The collection accessions of lentils were investigated and morphologically described; they were grouped by economic and biological features according to the Classifier of the genus Lens L.The protein content in seeds was determined by the Kjeldahl digestion in the Laboratory of Genetics, Biotechnology and Quality of the Plant Production Institute nd. a. VYa Yuriev NAAS.Results and discussion. The nutritional parameters of lentil seeds were evaluated in the full ripeness phase: protein content, cooking time, palatability, colors of cotyledons and seed coat, resistance to infuscation, and seed size.As to the protein content in seeds, the collection includes the following accessions: with a very high protein content (>30%) – one reference accession UD0600398 (Ukraine) with the protein content of 30.34%; with high protein content (29-30%) – 26 accessions; with medium protein content (26–28%) – 55 accessions; with low protein content (20–25%) – 79 accessions. As to the cooking boiling rate, the collection includes 154 accessions: with a very good rate (< 40 minutes) – 45 accessions; with a good rate (40–60 minutes) – 89 accessions; with a medium rate (61–80 minutes) – 20 accessions. Reference accessions for various levels of lentil palatability were distinguished and included in the collection: very low palatability (3 points) – LUG 330/04 (Ukraine); low palatability (5 points) – 1743 T 19 (Canada); high palatability (7 points) – Miledi, (Russia).The seed appearance is an important aspect of the market value of food lentils: the seed coat color, cotyledon color, resistance to infuscation. The accessions were grouped by cotyledon color as follows: yellow – 87 accessions; hot-yellow – 67 accessions; green – 6 accessions. In accordance with the Classifier of the genus Lens, there are currently eight types of the seed coat pigmentation; their references are listed below: white – LUG 45/09 (Ukraine); pink – LUG 116/09 (Ukraine); green – Zelenyy Chervonets (Ukraine); yellow-green – Krasnohradska 250 (Ukraine); gray – 1743 T 19 (Canada); gray-red – Elista (Slovakia); brown – UD0600444 (Ethiopia); and black – Beluga (Israel).Given the ability of the seed coat to infuscate, the reference accessions for this trait were chosen: infuscating – Krasnohradska 250 (Ukraine); non-infuscating – LUG 45/09 (Ukraine).

Phenotypic diversity of pea (Pisum sativum L.) varieties and the polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity of their seeds

ABSTRACT: Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is the fourth leading legume crop in the world, and its demand is increasing. In this study, the morphological characteristics (seed shape, seed surface, seed coat color, hilum color, cotyledon color, 100-seed weight and color values), total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), 2,2’-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) free radical scavenging capacity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of 75 pea cultivars were investigated. Results showed rich genetic diversity and a wide range of phenolic contents and antioxidant activities. Sixteen varieties enriched with phenolic contents and high antioxidant activities were screened out. A significant correlation was reported among color values, TPC, TFC, ABTS and FRAP. Principal component analysis (PCA) extracted four principal components with a total cumulative contribution of 81.29%. Hierarchical cluster analysis based on the four extracted principal components resulted in a dendrogram dividing the peas into three groups. In addition, dark pea seeds have potential as a functional food in addition to their traditional role in providing dietary protein and fibre. This study provided a scientific basis for the breeding of pea varieties, development of new products and improvement of pea resource utilization.

Selection of putative relic cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) genotypes in farmers' fields in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago is a repository of putative relic cacao genotypes, given its long history of cultivating cacao from the 1700s onwards. As part of a project conducted between 2009 and 2011, funded by the World Bank Development Market Place, World Bank Project TF 093747 (DM 2008), 106 putative, ancient cacao varieties were collected from farms throughout Trinidad and Tobago to be conserved and utilized to preserve traditional quality (flavour) attributes. The objective of this article is to provide information on agronomic and phenotypic traits of 94 of these 'relic' accessions collected in farmers' fields (FA). These are presumed to be relic Criollos or Trinitarios (selected pre-and post-1930s), and were selected over six cocoa production zones in Trinidad and Tobago. In addition, data for 31 regional Trinitario cacao accessions, which are conserved at the International Cocoa Genebank Trinidad (ICGT) were assessed. Morphological assessment of the selections was based on 22 phenotypic traits including characteristics of economic interest, viz. bean number (BN), individual dried bean weight (DBW), total wet bean weight (TWBW) and pod index (PI), which ranged from 26.4 to 58.0 (CV 16.3%); 0.6g to 2.12g (CV 22.6%); 42.5 to 228g (CV 24.2%) and 10 to 57 (CV 27.5%), respectively. Significant differences (p < 0.0001) were found among the production zones for BN and DBW only. Four zones had selections with significantly higher BN and all six had selections with superior TWBW relative to the ICGT clones studied. No association between cotyledon colour and leaf petiole hairiness was found, suggesting independent inheritance of these traits used for preliminary identification of 'Criollo-like' genotypes in the field. FAs from Tobago generally had selections with paler cotyledons, implying relatively more pronounced Criollo ancestry. Principal Component (PC) scores 1 and 2 accounted for 74.7% of the phenotypic variation expressed by the accessions studied in terms of five traits, based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA). PI and TWBW were major contributors to PC 1, while for PC 2, the major contributors were BN and DBW. The results of PCA and cluster analyses suggest that a phenotypically diverse and unique selection of genotypes was collected from the farmers' fields, relative to studied ICGT types, several of which displayed 'Criollo-like' and Trinitario characteristics (large, plump seeds/beans with pale cotyledons) and favourable yield potential. These can be utilized to enhance the genepool at the ICGT, for breeding to introgress favourable Trinitario genes into national recurrent breeding programmes and for commercial cultivation.