IMPROVEMENT OF PROTEIN PRODUCTIVITY UNDER MARGINAL CONDITIONS IN FINLAND

26 RESEARCH REPORTS PNL Volume 13 1981

Hovinen, S. and R. Karjalainen

Hankkija Plant Breeding Institute, Helsinki, Finland

The latitude and climatic conditions of Finland are nearly marginal for

growing peas for fodder and cooking. There is therefore considerable varia-

tion in seed yield, protein content, and protein yield in different locations

and different years. Analyses of phenotypic variability of protein content

on 18 genotypes in several years and two locations showed a range of 19.9%-

29.8%. A highly significant variation was observed between cultivars and

advanced lines. Within certain cultivars the variation was very wide,

reaching 20.5%-29.8% in one cultivar. This shows that peas are very sensitive

to extreme climatic conditions.

The correlation between protein content and seed yield was negative in

four years, r=-0.179 to -0.410, p <0.05=0.396, and positive in one year,

r=0.313. The correlation between protein content and seed weight was negative

in all cases, r=-0.118 to -0.536, p <0.05=0.396. Within this material we

observed that protein content was positively correlated with growing time

in every year, r=0.138 to 0.573, p <0.05=0.396. The above figures agree

well with results recently published in Sweden (1).

Our results indicated that there would be certain difficulties in trying

to improve simultaneously both protein content and seed yield with early

maturity.

In trials the protein yield per ha varied from 0-1700 kg, and a great

part of the total yield per area is often lost because the crop fails to

mature. This emphasizes the fact that crop dependability is of crucial

importance in breeding programs in Finland. So, in trying to improve protein

productivity, the protein content is of less importance compared to seed

yield and yield stability, as recently stressed by Snoad (2) in Britain.

This means that in northern growing conditions earliness and good lodging

resistance guaranteed better protein yields (Fig. 1).

1. Bingefors, S., G. Quittenbaum, and J. Tapia Rogas. 1979. Protein-

haltsvariationer i arter. Sveriges Utsadesforenings Tidskrift 89:

189-208.

2. Snoad, B. 1980. The origin, performance and breeding of leafless peas.

Adas Quarterly Review 37:69-86.

Fig. 1. Protein yield, protein content, and growing time of five

cultivars grown in Finland. Proco is very early, Hja 51277

semi-1eafless variety with good lodging resistance.