Environmental effect on yield, composition and technological seed traits of some Italian ecotypes of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.).
BACKGROUND
Grass pea seeds are a good source of vegetable proteins, but the presence of toxic and antinutritional compounds represents a barrier to their large-scale use as food or animal feed. How much growing location and/or seasonal climate might affect the storage of these factors has been little investigated.


RESULTS
Fourteen Italian ecotypes of grass pea were cultivated in two locations in southern Italy characterised by different climatic conditions. The seven ecotypes with the best yields and/or seed quality were investigated for a further two growing seasons. From a statistical point of view the physicochemical and nutritional traits among ecotypes were not the same from one year to the next. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was found between β-oxalyl-diamino-propionic acid and trypsin inhibitor contents. The lowest levels of both these compounds were associated with the highest amount of rainfall during the plant vegetative cycle.


CONCLUSIONS
Principal component analysis of the data showed that the overall seed composition was affected by the growing location. Consequently, each grass pea genotype should also be carefully investigated in relation to different environments before being considered for release as safe for widespread human or animal consumption.
Piergiovanni
Angela R
AR
Istituto di Genetica Vegetale, CNR, Bari, Italy. angelarosa.piergiovanni@igv.cnr.it
Lupo
Francesco
F
Zaccardelli
Massimo
M
D000383:Agriculture; D018533:Biomass; D004777:Environment; D005838:Genotype; D007558:Italy; D027807:Lathyrus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development; D009753:Nutritive Value; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis / Q000379:methods; D011422:Propionates / Q000032:analysis; D011891:Rain; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D013045:Species Specificity; D014361:Trypsin Inhibitors / Q000032:analysis
D010940:Plant Proteins; D011422:Propionates; D014361:Trypsin Inhibitors; C029658:propionic acid