Usage of Morphological Mutations for Improvement of a Garden Pea (Pisum sativum): The Experience of Breeding in Russia

Abstract

The improvement of pea as a crop over many decades has been employing the use of mutants. Several hundreds of different mutations are known in pea (Pisum sativum subsp. sativum), some of which are valuable for breeding. Breeding strategies may be diverse in different countries depending on different obstacles. In Russia, numerous spontaneous and induced mutations have been implemented in breeding. To our knowledge some of these, are not used in pea breeding beyond Russia. This review describes the use of mutations in pea breeding in Russia. The paper provides examples of cultivars created on the basis of mutations affecting the development of seeds (def), inflorescence (det, deh), compound leaves (af, af unitac), and symbiotic nitrogen fixation (various alleles of Sym and Nod loci). Novel mutations which are potentially promising for breeding are currently being investigated. Together with numerous cultivars of dry and fodder pea carrying commonly known mutations, new ‘chameleon’ and ‘lupinoid’ morphotypes, both double mutants, are under study. A cultivar Triumph which increases the effectiveness of interactions with beneficial soil microbes, was bred in Russia for the first time in the history of legume breeding.