ABSCISIC-ACID AND ASSIMILATE PARTITIONING TO DEVELOPING SEEDS .1. DOES ABSCISIC-ACID INFLUENCE THE GROWTH-RATE OF PEA-SEEDS

A wilting mutant (wil, line B78-918) of pea (Pisum sativum) with a reduced abscisic acid (ABA) content was used to determine the effect of ABA on the growth rate of seeds. This mutant was backcrossed with a non-wilty line to achieve isogenic lines. Crosses were performed to obtain pods with both ABA-containing and ABA-deficient seeds. After opening the pods, the diameters of the seeds were measured daily with a pair of callipers. Normal growth patterns of the seeds were not disturbed by these manipulations. No effect of the genotype on the overall growth pattern of the seeds was detected. We conclude that A.BA has not a major influence on the growth rate of pea seeds.