SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS IN PEA (PISUM-SATIVUM L AND PISUM ARVENSE L) - DIALLEL ANALYSIS AND GENETIC-CONTROL

Six lines of Pisum were tested in vitro for their ability to produce s omatic embryos from apices. Significant quantitative variation was obs erved. Inheritance of the ability to form somatic embryos was studied using a diallel cross among six different lines. About 80% of the obse rved genotypic variation was due to additive effects. There is a tende ncy for the favourable genes to be recessive. It appears that there ar e two genetic systems involved. Analysis of the distribution of F-3 fa milies means from a cross among two extreme lines seems to indicate th e presence of a few major genes in the control of somatic embryogenesi s of pea.