Lodging Resistant Peas a Distant Goal

REGINA - Apr 27/04 - SNS -- Agricultural researchers in Saskatchewan have found little correlation between lodging in field peas and susceptibility to mycosphaerella blight, but they did confirm the amount of lignin in plant stems had a direct impact on susceptibility to lodging.

Results of the study do not appear to paint a clear path to creating varieties which are less susceptible to the two problems, but researchers believe it is helping them achieve those goals.

"No major genes are available for resistance to lodging or for resistance to the fungus causing the blight, Mycosphaerella pinodes," explains Dr. Sabine Banniza, assistant professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan. "So, to understand the process, we looked at the relationship between lodging and the fungus."

The three-year project undertaken by Banniza and her colleagues at the Crop Development Centre was titled "Investigation into the relationship between lodging, stem anatomy, degree of stem lignification and susceptibility to Mycosphaerella pinodes in field pea." It was supported by the Agriculture Development Fund.

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