INHERITANCE OF BLACK-POD COLOR IN PEANUT

A cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. subsp, fastigiata var, fastig iata) was recently found with black outer pod color. This is the first report of a genetically controlled Black-Pod trait in peanut. Color c hange of the outer pod layer (exocarp) was found to coincide with matu ration similar to that previously observed within the middle pod layer (mesocarp). Crosses with this true-breeding accession (PI 560927) bot h between and within subspecies of the cultigen indicated a single dom inant gene, designated Bp, for the Black-Pod trait. No cytoplasmic eff ects were detected among progenies from reciprocal crosses, and linkag e was not detected between genes for Black-Pod and dominant Krinkle-Le af or Black-Pod and dominant red testa color.