Morphological characterization of germplasm of Lathyrus (Lathyrus sativus L.)

Introduction

Lathyrus (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a member of the Leguminosae family, it is a significant crop rich in protein (28%), next to soybeans (43%). Papilionaceae is a subfamily of lathyrus with chromosomal number 2𝑛 = 14

. Lathyrus has extensive tolerance of drought, water logging soil. Analysis of genetic diversity in relation to geographical distribution may contribute to the identification of centers of genetic diversity and elucidate the origins and domestication history of cultivated crop species. The edible Lathyrus (Lathyrus sativus L.) originated in the Mediterranean region of West Central Asia. It was domesticated in North India, where remains dating back 3600 years have been found. The predominant cultivation practice for Lathyrus (Lathyrus sativus L.) in India is the relay cropping system, commonly referred to as the "utera" system. The crop is well adapted to diverse environmental conditions, exhibiting considerable tolerance to drought as well as resilience under conditions of excessive rainfall. Lathyrus (Lathyrus sativus L.) is relatively resistant to many diseases and insect pests. The effectiveness of a crop improvement programme is largely determined by the extent of genetic variability available within the breeding material. Genetic diversity serves as the foundation for plant breeding by providing opportunities to select diverse parents with desirable traits for hybridization. Systematic evaluation of germplasm enables the identification of genetic differences among accessions for important agronomic characters, thereby supporting the development of improved cultivars. Furthermore, characterization of germplasm contributes to the efficient conservation and utilization of valuable genetic resources in future breeding programmes. The genetic resources available within a crop species provide the foundation for developing improved cultivars. Germplasm collections generally contain considerable variation for plant architecture, flowering behaviour, maturity, yield attributes, seed characteristics and adaptability. Proper characterization of this variation is essential for identifying genetically and phenotypically distinct accessions and for determining their potential value in crop improvement programmes. The foremoste objective of this study was a phenotypic characterization of lathyrus germplasm based on DUS descriptors for various morphological characters, (Pandey, 2000) [1] . Systematic evaluation of germplasm also helps in detecting desirable traits that can be in corporated into breeding populations. Morphological characterization is one of the simplest and most practical approaches for preliminary assessment of genetic variation in germplasm. It involves the systematic recording of qualitative traits that describe differences among genotypes. Characters such as plant height, branching pattern, flowering and maturity duration, pod characteristics, seed traits and yield-related attributes can provide useful information for distinguishing accessions and assessing their agronomic potential. The use of standardized morphological descriptors facilitates the identification, documentation and maintenance of germplasm and reduces duplication within collections. Identification of genotypes possessing desirable characteristics such as early flowering, suitable plant stature, greater pod production, improved seed size and higher seed yield can support the selection of promising materials for breeding. Moreover, information generated through morphological evaluation can serve as a basis for selecting diverse parents and planning subsequent breeding and genetic studies. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken to characterize a diverse set of lathyrus germplasm using important morphological traits. The study aims to assess the extent of observable variation among the germplasm, identify promising accessions with desirable characteristics, and generate useful information for the effective conservation, utilization and genetic improvement of lathyrus.

Materials and Methods

In Rabi 2024-25, the 27 germplasm lines with 3 checks were grown in RBD (Randomized Block Design) in 3 replications. The germplasm represented diverse genetic material and was assessed under field conditions to determine the extent of variation in important qualitative morphological traits. Table 1. Include list of germplasm. The lathyrus germplasm were characterized based on a set of distinct morphological descriptors covering plant, leaf, flower, pod and seed characteristics. Observations were recorded at appropriate growth stages and at maturity by visually assessing representative plants, leaves, flowers, pods and seeds from each germplasm accession. The morphological descriptors were selected to capture the phenotypic variation present among the germplasm. Plant characteristics were recorded during the vegetative and reproductive stages. The observations included plant growth habit, plant type, internode length, stem colour, stem wing width and branch arrangement. Plant growth habit and plant type were assessed based on the overall architecture and appearance of the plant. Internode length and stem wing width were recorded from representative plants, while stem colour and branch arrangement were determined based on their observable phenotypic expression. Leaf characteristics were recorded from fully developed, representative leaves of each germplasm accession. The descriptors included (L T ) leaf type, (L C ) leaf colour, (L S ) leaflet shape, (L PL ) leaf petiole length (cm), presence or absence of (L Tr ) leaf tendrils, (L P ) leaf persistence, (P OP ) presence of pubescence and (P L ) peduncle length. (L C ) Leaf colour and (L S ) leaflet shape were assessed visually, whereas (L P ) leaf petiole and peduncle length were measured in centimetres using a suitable measuring scale. The presence or absence of tendrils and pubescence and the persistence of leaves were also recorded for each accession. Flower characters were recorded during the flowering stage.

The observations included (F BS ) flower bud shape, (F BSi ) flower bud size, (F S ) flower size, (F C ) flower colour, (F VC ) flower vein colour and (C C ) calyx colour. Flower bud and flower size were recorded from representative flowers, while flower colour, vein colour and calyx colour were assessed visually. The observations were taken when the flowers were sufficiently developed to allow clear identification of the respective characteristics. Pod characteristics were recorded at the appropriate pod-development and maturity stages. The descriptors included (P S ) pod shape, (P C ) pod curvature, (P BS ) pod beak shape, (I PC ) immature pod colour, (M PC ) mature pod colour, (C OP ) constriction of pod between seeds and (P D ) pod dehiscence. (I PC ) Immature pod colour was recorded during the developing pod stage, whereas mature pod colour and other pod characters were recorded at physiological maturity. Pod curvature, beak shape and constriction between seeds were assessed visually, while pod dehiscence was recorded based on the tendency of mature pods to split or release seeds. Seed characteristics were recorded after harvesting and proper drying of the seeds. The descriptors included (S S ) seed shape, (S Si ) seed size, (S CC ) seed coat colour, (S CS ) seed coat surface, (S CPC ) seed coat pattern colour and (C oC ) cotyledon colour. Seed shape, seed coat surface and seed coat colour were assessed visually using representative seeds from each germplasm accession. Seed size was assessed using appropriate measurements or descriptor categories, while seed coat pattern colour and cotyledon colour were recorded based on their observable expression after examining the seeds. For each germplasm accession, observations were recorded systematically for all the above-mentioned morphological descriptors. Qualitative characters were classified into their respective descriptor categories based on the observable phenotypic expression, whereas measurable characters such as internode length, stem wing width, leaf petiole length and peduncle length were recorded quantitatively. The recorded data were tabulated and compared among the germplasm accessions to identify the extent of morphological variation. The characterization data were subsequently used to distinguish the accessions and identify morphologically diverse and potentially useful germplasm for future breeding programmes.

Results and discussion

In the present study morphological characters of 27 lathyrus germplasm along with 3 checks were recorded as per the descriptor published by ICARDA Rome and presented in [2] conducted morpho-molecular characterization of grass pea germplasm and identified considerable diversity among the accessions. Important variability was observed for traits such as plant height, petiole length, days to maturity, number of pods per plant and 100-seed weight. Plant height, petiole length and 100-seed weight exhibited high heritability coupled with high genetic advance. Indumathi et al. (2026) [3] evaluated 48 grass pea germplasm accessions, including checks, using 21 morphological characters based on DUS descriptors. Diversity was observed for 14 of the 21 characters.

Conclusion

The morphological evaluation of 27 Lathyrus germplasm accessions along with three checks revealed substantial phenotypic diversity across several plant, leaf, flower, pod and seed descriptors. The greatest variation was observed for growth habit, internode length, stem and leaf colour, leaflet shape, tendril size, floral pigmentation, pod colour, pod curvature, pod dehiscence, seed shape and seed coat characteristics. Several traits, including plant type, leaf type, flower bud shape, pod shape, pod beak shape, seed coat surface and cotyledon colour, remained uniform and consequently had limited value for discrimination within the evaluated material. The diversity identified in the present study can be useful for germplasm identification, documentation, conservation and selection of contrasting parents in Lathyrus improvement programmes. In particular, variation in plant architecture and pod shattering deserves further attention because these characteristics may contribute to the development of desirable genotypes. The characterized germplasm can serve as valuable breeding material, and its further evaluation using quantitative traits, multi-environment testing and molecular markers would strengthen the assessment of genetic diversity and facilitate efficient utilization in future breeding programmes.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgmentsI sincerely express my gratitude to all those whose encouragement, guidance, and support contributed to the successful completion of this research. I am especially thankful to my research guide for providing constant supervision, valuable suggestions, and constructive comments throughout the course of the study. I also extend my heartfelt appreciation to the Research Farm of the Agricultural Botany Section, College of Agriculture, Nagpur, for making available the necessary facilities and resources that enabled the successful execution of this research work.

References

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6. How to cite this article: Kuldipake AA, Madke VS, Patil SR, Patil S, Kalamkar VB, Shende P, et al. Morphological characterization of germplasm of Lathyrus (Lathyrus sativus L.). International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research. 2026;SP-10(9):2644-2651. doi: https://www.doi.org/10.33545/26 174693.2026.v10.i9Sag.10232