ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to show the relationship between the
yellow pigments of pea (Pisum sativum L.) seeds and climatic
conditions, and to identify effective selection methods for improving
seed colour quality. Three dry pea cultivars with different yellow hues
of seeds and leaves and their progenies were grown in non-irrigated
field experiments. A colour scale from 1 to 9 was created to measure
seed colour. Drought during seed development caused a significant
decrease in the xanthophyll content of pea seeds. Based on heritability
estimates, the potential for selection for increased xanthophyll content
in seeds (h2=0.78) was greater than for carotene (h2=0.32).
The “yellow index,” defined as the ratio of carotene and xanthophylls,
expressed the intensity of yellow colour of the seeds. The weak relation
between seed colour values and yellow index (R2=0.445)
should allow simultaneous selection for seeds with deep-yellow colour
and higher carotene content.
