VARIABILITY IN SPRING PEA (Pisum sativum L.) VARIETIES FOR TOLERANCE TO Bruchus pisorum L. (COLEOPTERA: BRUCHIDAE)

During the 2012-2014 period in the experimental field of the Institute of Forage Crops, Pleven, Bulgaria, a study was conducted on tolerance of 5 spring pea varieties to Bruchus pisorum L. (Coleoptera: Bruchidae): Glyans, Modus; Kamerton and Svit (Ukrainian varieties) and Pleven 4 (Bulgarian variety). It was found that the duration of flowering and pods development stages in spring pea varieties affected the seasonal dynamics of B. pisorum. Modus variety had the shortest duration of flowering and pods development stages and the lowest density of the pea weevil. The tolerance of Modus was related to earliness of the variety. The resistance to bruchids in spring pea may be related to length of pods, affecting oviposition. Modus had the shortest length of pods, the lowest proportion of infected pods and number of laid eggs per pod. Use of different markers for resistance as discrepancy between the phenological development of the host plant and the life cycle of the phytophagous insects, a length of pods etc. in the creation of new pea varieties may be effective methods for defense and control against B. pisorum.