Features of changes in parameters of habitus, growth and development of pea plants as a result of breeding for seed productivity

The article presents the results of long-term experiments on the study of morphological characteristics, growth and development of plants in more than 100 varieties of P. Sativum L., reflecting the period of crop selection from primitive forms to the best modern morphogenotypes. It was found out that the selection of pea plants, first of all, caused improvement of the agrotechnological properties of the population. At the initial stages of development, during the transition from primitive forms and local populations to the first industrial varieties, plants experienced a significant limitation of lateral shoot formation (decreased on average 1.6 times), and subsequently a significant decrease in plant height - average by 46.9%. However, the most significant results in changing the morphotype were achieved at the turn of 1980s, due to the selection of forms with physiologically and genetically limited stem growth and a modified leaf shape (leafless). As a result, agrocenopopulations of pea varieties began to develop more optimally both in space and in time, which made it possible to increase the seed yield from 1.2 to 4.2 t/ha. It was concluded that for the central regions of Russia, the most optimal is the creation of pea varieties with plant heights from 69 to 108 cm, with the number of unproductive nodes from 10 to 12, fertile ones - from 3 to 5, the duration of the growing season - from 70 to 78 days, a period filling - 33-35 days and flowering phase - 10-11 days. In this case, a physiologically limited or genetically determinant type of stem growth must characterize the variety. For production regions with a predominance of dry weather and low crop culture, it is preferable to have varieties with a physiologically limited type of growth, and in areas with a high level of fertility, optimal and excessive moisture, genetically determinant varieties are more appropriate.