Identification and revealing the potential traits of the unique germplasm with extended funiculus in pea ( Pisum sativum L.)

An atypical morphotype of pea ( Pisum sativum L.) was identified during the germplasm characterization programme at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi. This accession was recognised with prominent and intact funiculus on the seed. To explore the possible role of the extended funiculus, imbibition and physiological behaviour study was carried out on the seeds of selected accession of similar morphology. Compared to checks, the higher water uptake was reported in the seeds with extended funiculus in the exotic collection (EC0414478). Moreover, EC0414478 also showed the highest biomass along with the chlorophyll and Relative Water Content in response to drought at the early vegetative stage. This can be utilized as donor for drought tolerance for developing variety/genetic stocks for early sown peas, especially in rice fallow areas. A more detailed investigation is required to assess the drought tolerance potential of identified germplasm under field conditions.