VATIS UPDATE Article

A new study done by University of Saskatchewan, Canada, has indicated that pea plants with some specific traits – such as longer flowering time and higher pod numbers – may be more resistant to heat stress. The researchers also gained new insights into the genetics of heat tolerance in pea. “In some years, the older varieties of pea weren’t growing very well because of heat stress,” said Rosalind Bueckert.

According to Bueckert, tolerance to heat stress in peas seems to be dependent on quite a few traits. The study found that two traits, however, are most important: higher pod numbers and longer flowering duration. Bueckert and her colleagues Tom Warkentin and Shaoming Huang are the first to uncover the location of genes that affect heat stress.

To determine which traits are important for heat resistance in peas, Bueckert and her colleagues crossed two commonly used varieties of pea, CDC Centennial and CDC Sage. Then the researchers evaluated more than a hundred new varieties of pea derived from this cross. “By crossing two different varieties of pea, you may be able to breed offspring with traits beyond those of either parent,” said Bueckert.