Board of Governors, Olds College of Agriculture & Technology

Published purpose

As food producers are exploring a wider range of plant-based protein options, there is a rising demand for pea protein and flour. Understanding crop characteristics such as flowering time and plant height are key to variety development due to their role in wider adaptation and yield potential. For instance, early maturation can significantly extend the geographical range of production and their ability to thrive in varying seasonal weather patterns. Targeted plant height is highly desirable in pea breeding as it affects crop performance such as lodging, and thus yield and quality. There is an increasing interest in utilizing wild relatives and landraces to accelerate genetic gains for crop improvement. The extensive genetic resource has vast, yet unexplored potential for improvement of pea yield and seed quality traits. This two-year project will investigate about 330-340 pea lines and their adaptability traits under field conditions. Subsequently, laboratory studies will focus on comprehensive analyses of seed quality traits related to protein and starch