The Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding

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.