Forage pea (Pisum sativum var. arvense L.) landraces reveal morphological and genetic diversities

The objective of this study was to assess morphological and genetic diversities of 48 forage pea landraces collected from different locations at different altitudes in Turkey. Morphological, quality, and yield features were determined for the landraces and three control cultivars in three subsequent years. Genetic diversities of the landraces and cultivars were also monitored using microsatellite (SSR) markers. Our results revealed that the features of landraces are significantly different. The hay weights and the relative feed values were found to be significantly affected by altitude, with the landraces generally showing significantly higher hay weight and relative feed values at lower altitudes (P < 0.05). At the genetic level, 32 SSR primers led to distinct placement of one of the samples into a different clade of the dendrogram, showing that it is genetically different from the other 47 samples. This genetically different landrace had the highest forage value, suggesting that it shows higher prime forage features than the cultivars and the other landraces. Moreover, altitude and generally flower color were found to be important factors affecting the genetics of the landraces, as the landraces having white flowers or collected at similar altitudes were clustered well in the dendrogram. The results of this study reveal that the morphological and genetic diversities of forage pea landraces collected from different locations at different altitudes show variations. Such information could be used to develop forage pea landraces with improved characters that can be used in hay management.