DIVERSITY OF GRASS PEA (L. SATIVUM) LANDRACES FOR SUSTAINABLE FIELD GRASS PEA BREEDING IN ALBANIA

Fourteen grass peas (Lathyrus sativum) landraces collected in three different region of Albania (Korca, Elbasan and Fieri) were used to assess genetic diversity by quantitative morphological traits and molecular markers. The study, carried out in a randomized design with four replications during three growing seasons (2011 - 2013), had the objective of identification and selecting the traits with favourable characteristics for use in grass pea field breeding. ANOVA, principal component analysis and cluster analysis (method ward) used to assess the variability and association among different traits showed significant genetic diversity between collected grass pea landraces. Study identified the traits with more significant weighting on respective PC variances (days to flowering, and to pods, and to maturity, plant height, leaf size, leaflet length, number of pods per plant and seeds per pod, and yield per genotype), which can be used successfully as morphological quantitative markers for evaluation and characterization of the grass pea germplasm. The high amount of genetic variability founded in the present study, available to the breeders, is sufficient for selection of desirable traits and high yield parental lines, and for creation of new favourable gene combinations to sustain field grass pea breeding programs.