First Report of a Novel Multi-flowering Germplasm with Fasciated Stem in Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)

The mining of entire lentil accessions (2,324) of Indian genebank, ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi led to the identification of a unique multi-flowering germplasm accession, IC241473, in cultivated lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.), forming up to 16 flowers per peduncle at multiple flowering node. Besides, this accession was also having a fasciation of the main stem. The multi-flowering expression was observed under field conditions at ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi, India, consecutively during the winter seasons of year 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 and was validated at NBPGR, New Delhi and ICARDA, Amlaha (Madhya Pradesh) during 2020–2021. Unlike earlier reported fasciated accessions in legumes, this fasciated accession showed stable multi-flowering expression over the years and locations and was also found fertile with fully developed reproductive organs. This unique and novel germplasm accession can be utilized for genetic studies to identify the locus regulating the multi-flowering trait in lentil and its association with environmental factors.