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RELATIONSHIP OF FLOWER AND POD NUMBERS PER INFLORESCENCE WITH SEED YIELD IN LENTIL

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2000

H. A. A. TAMBAL
Affiliation:
American University of Beirut (AUB), PO Box 11-0236, Beirut, Lebanon
W. ERSKINE
Affiliation:
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), PO Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
R. BAALBAKI
Affiliation:
American University of Beirut (AUB), PO Box 11-0236, Beirut, Lebanon
H. ZAITER
Affiliation:
American University of Beirut (AUB), PO Box 11-0236, Beirut, Lebanon

Abstract

This study, quantifying variation in flower and pod production in lentil (Lens culinaris), aimed to answer the question: Will selection for more pods per inflorescence increase seed yield? In Season 1 (1992–93) all open flowers were tracked to maturity in a field experiment with two lentil genotypes sown on two dates. Genotype Talia 2 had a higher rate of flower abortion than pod abortion, in contrast to genotype ILL 2581 which showed the reverse. Flower abortion accounted for 15% of flowers opened in early sowing and increased to 22% in the late sowing. Pod abortion was 19% (of flowers opened) in early sowing and 23% in the late sowing. These are the first quantitative estimates of flower and pod abortion in lentil. From the data, a rapid sampling method was developed to estimate the average number of pods per inflorescence at maturity. In Season 2 (1993–94) an experiment was conducted at two locations to estimate the average number of pods per inflorescence of 81 genotypes and to relate this to seed yield. Although the broad-sense heritability (h2) of the number of pods per inflorescence was 0.68 and its phenotypic correlation with seed yield was r = 0.71, the highest-yielding genotypes were not those with the most pods per inflorescence. Selection for the number of pods per inflorescence cannot be recommended for increasing seed yield in lentil.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2000 Cambridge University Press

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