PGA

"Pisum Genetics"

Membership

Editor

Manuscripts

Pisum gene database

Linkage map

Germplasm
Marx tines

Retirees

Congratuiations

NPIA donation

Thanks

The Pisum Genetics Association (PGA) is a non-profit, unincorporated organization established to foster genetic study of the pea, to facilitate the exchange of information and to ensure preservation of valuable genetic stocks. Pisum Genetics (formerly The Pisum Newsletter = PNL) is the principal means of meeting these aims. Published annually in one issue, Pisum Genetics contains reports of research findings and other information relating to genetic variation in Pisum. The PGA currently has 175 members from 29 countries.

Membership of the PGA is open to all interested persons and organizations. Dues are per annum $10 (U.S. currency), $13 (Australian) or an equivalent sum in other major currencies. Dues are used to help defray the costs of publishing and mailing Pisum Genetics. Members are encouraged to pay dues for two or more years to simplify bookkeeping and to reduce losses through bank charges which are now Aust $5 per cheque regardless of the size of the cheque. Please make cheques or international money orders payable to Pisum Genetics Association and send to Dr I.C. Murfet, Dept. of Plant Science, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia. Pisum Genetics will be sent on receipt of dues.

The Editor, Dr I.C Murfet, may be contacted at the above address by phone 61 02 202605, telex AA 58150, and fax 61 02 202698 or 61 02 202186.

Please submit manuscripts double-spaced. Figures should be ready to print and of good quality. Tables should be set out in accord with established format- References should be listed in alphabetical then chronological order and full details supplied for papers in monographs, e.g., give details of editors, publisher and city, page numbers and list all authors; Smith et at. is not sufficient. Research reports should be organised concisely in the format of a short introduction outlining the background to and aim of the study, a materials and methods section with essential details and references to techniques, a results section and a discussion section interpreting the results and integrating findings with those of other workers. Section headings are not obligatory. Conclusions should be justified, where applicable, by appropriate statistical analysis. Length should generally be kept within the range of 1-4 PNL pages but longer papers will be considered on their merits. Research reports and reviews are subjected to peer review and revision if necessary. Research reports should contain original work not currently submitted to any other journal. Review articles are obtained by invitation. Papers will not be rejected because the English is not fluent. However, the intended meaning must be clear, the scientific content sound and appropriate, the conclusions justified and the organisation logical. Abstracts may be submitted of work to be published elsewhere or conference papers.

Mr Mike Ambrose (John Innes Institute, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK; phone (0603) 52571, telex 975122, fax (0603) 56844 continues as Coordinator of Gene Symbols. If you are proposing a new gene symbol please check with Mike that the symbol is free and appropriate. Again if you are proposing a new gene please make a reasonable effort to check for allelism with established genes of similar type. This saves the literature being cluttered with confusing synonyms. PGA rules for genetic symbols are given in PNL 9 Supplement: 61-64 (1977). In due course, please send type lines for new genes to Dr Stig Blixt (Nordic Gene Bank, S23058 Alnarp, Sweden) and reprints to Mike.

Work has continued on updating the Pisum gene database, particularly through the efforts of the working party of Mike Ambrose, Niall Green and Peter Winfield. Updating the Pisum gene database is seen as a first step toward bringing the proposed Pisum Gene Handbook to fruition. If you are the author of a pea gene symbol you will likely hear from one of the group during the year. Your cooperation in providing information for the database will be most appreciated. The group is seeking to complete the genelist update by the end of 1992 and have targetted 1994 for completion of a draft of the Handbook which will be illustrated with photographs where applicable.

Dr Norman F. Weeden (Dept. of Hort. Sci., NYSAES, Geneva NY 14456, USA; phone (315) 787 2245, fax (315) 787 2397, telex 671 7017) is Coordinator of Linkage Maps. He, or other members of the Linkage Map Committee (Mike Ambrose, Wojtek Swiecicki), would be pleased to receive a copy of new linkage results as they become available. The most recent update of the pea map appears on the cover of this issue.

You will see from the germplasm section (p. 53) that the USA national Pisum collection and the G.A. Marx Pisum Genetics Stocks Collection have now been transferred from Geneva, N.Y. to Pullman W.A. and enquiries concerning this material should now be addressed to Dr R.M. Hannan. As a practical tribute to Dr Marx's contribution to pea breeding one of his lines with multiviral resistance is being released under the title "G-1000 Marx's pea breeding line for multiviral resistance" and seed is available from Dr R. Provvidenti (see pp 50-52). Work is also underway to incorporate information from the valuable pea collection at Leningrad into the European pea database (see p. 54).

We note the retirement of two of our members, Prof. Gunnar Almgard, Uppsala and Iver Jorgensen, Gilroy, California and wish them well. Congratulations to two of our members Dr F.H. Muehlbauer and Dr A.E. Slinkard on their election as CSSA and ASA Fellows, respectively.

Congratulations also to Prof. Dr W.K. Swiecicki on his appointment as Professor and Deputy Director at the Institute of Plant Genetics, Posnan.

At the invitation of the National Pea Improvement Association, I attended their very interesting and useful biennial meeting at Lincoln, Nebraska as guest and speaker. At this meeting, NPIA members voted a generous and very useful donation of US $600 to help with PGA costs in 1992. The strong support from North American colleagues for our international organization is greatly appreciated. Thanks are also due to Beverley Thomson who again has rendered Stirling service typing this issue. Sue Dwyer (Plant Genetic Resources Unit, Geneva, N.Y.) has cheerfully continued with the task of sending out back issues prior to 1990 (NB Volumes 6 and 11 are now out of print). I am very grateful that Barbara Murfet is now assisting me with some of the sec re tary/trea surer tasks. With members in 29 countries some of the complications associated with payment of subscriptions make the editorial work seem simple. Lastly thanks to those who have assisted with refereeing and in other ways helped the work of the PGA, and particularly our Symbols and Map Coordinators who have done an excellent job.

Financial Report

Financial report for the period December 8 1989 to October 1 1991. This period includes the production and mailing of PNL 22. All sums are Australian dollars.