EARLY-RIPENING PEA INITIAL MATERIAL UNDER CONDITIONS OF FOREST STEPPE OF WESTERN SIBERIA

Abstract

Data are given from experiments on studying 100 pea varieties of different morphotypes and environmental origins from the world’s collection of the N.I. Vavilov Research Institute of Plant Industry (VIR). Investigations were carried out on experimental fields of the Siberian Research Institute of Plant Production and Breeding (Krasnoobsk, Novosibirsk Region) in 2008-2010 according to the recommended techniques. The urgency of research is due to the need to develop early-ripening pea varieties for Siberia because they are less dependent on weather conditions, less damaged by the major pests and diseases, and allow for early autumn plowing after harvesting. A difficulty in developing early varieties is the requirement from production to the yield to be formed in a short period at the level of mid-ripening varieties. The pea accessions from the VIR collection were studied to find out the sources of earliness for conditions of Western Siberia. The formation of pea yield was mostly influenced by conditions of moisture and heat availability. The characteristic of early pea varieties with the flowering period shortened by 5-8 days is given. The ontogenesis phases were determined: sprouting-flowering beginning, flowering period, growing period. The ultra-early-ripening varieties bred abroad such as Atiroy Comet (Netherlands), Cicero (Germany) grown under conditions of forest-steppe areas near the Ob river proved to be unproductive, and of no practical interest. Early-ripening varieties showed a slight (by 2 days) reduction in the sprouting-flowering stage, and a considerable (by 5 days) reduction in the growing season. The cultivars Dudar, Severnfine, Criolla, Az-318 were distinguished as sources of earliness, and could be used as parent material in the breeding process.