The Pedigree of 33 fieldpea (Pisum sativum L.) varieties released in India were traced back to 26 ancestors. Out of these 26 ancestors, three ancestors contributed 49% of the genetic base. T 163 was the most frequently used parent followed by EC 109196 and T 10. In the recent breeding programme also, these three ancestors contributed 51% of the genetic base. In other words, it may be concluded that more than 50% of fieldpea varieties and breeding lines developed in India are more or less related due to presence of a single ancestor T 163 in their pedigree. Extensive use of few ancestors led towards genetic erosion and narrowing of genetic base in fieldpea.
Genetic base, fieldpea, pedigree analysis, varieties, ancestors
