Improving yield and reliability of field peas under water deficit

Project summary

Researchers are identifying and selecting field pea germplasm that has superior yield and yield stability under water deficit as well as favourable conditions.

By improving crop adaptation to water-limiting environments, this project will contribute to GRDC’s goal of increasing the share of pulses grown in cropping regions of Australia.

Outcomes

• This project developed the first Australia-wide environmental characterisation for field peas, as a reference for more effective allocation of breeding resources and interpretation of variety trials.
• It established field trials including 30 lines in six environments resulting from the combination of seasons, locations (Minnipa, Willamulka, Turretfield, Roseworthy and Pinery) and sowing dates.
• Correlations were found between yield and the percentage of pod wall relative to pod wall + seed weight for the pooled data for 2010 and 2011, comprising a yield range between 0.4 tonnes per hectare (t/ha) and 4.1t/ha.
• Detailed measurements showed that pod wall percentage correlates with seed abortion, which increases under stress.
• Correlations between yield and temperature indicated two distinct stages. In the first stage, yield was positively associated with minimum temperatures during crop establishment and canopy expansion before flowering. Temperatures below 7°C had a negative effect on growth. In the second stage, grain yield was negatively associated with maximum temperature over 25°C during critical reproductive phases.

Background

Field pea is a major crop in Australia and is grown over approximately 300,000 ha. In South Australia and Victoria it accounts for 40% of the area of pulses, and is the second most widely grown pulse crop in Western Australia and southern New South Wales.

Agronomically, field peas are often considered the most reliable of the pulse crops particularly in the lower rainfall margins of south-eastern Australia.

Increasing the acreage of field peas and pulses in general requires improved adaptation to low rainfall regions. Improved adaptation to water deficits can be achieved (i) directly, by breeding and selection in target environments, (ii) indirectly, by targeting secondary traits that must be related to improved performance in stressful environments and (iii) a combination of direct and indirect approaches.

Related projects

This project relies on and provides background support to Pulse Breeding Australia’s field pea breeding effort.