Earlystar

Pea

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Agassiz'

Summary: The plants of 'Earlystar' are taller than those of 'Agassiz'. 'Earlystar' has more ovules per pod than 'Agassiz'. 'Earlystar' matures slightly earlier than 'Agassiz'.

Description:

PLANT: field type, no stem fasciation, green colour, no anthocyanin colouration
STEM: medium length vine

LEAF: semi-leafless
STIPULE: normal development, not rabbit eared, very sparse flecking

FLOWER: early flowering, medium to many flower bearing nodes per stem, one to two flowers per node
STANDARD: white, arched base
UPPER CALYX LOBE: pointed apex

POD: parchment absent or partially present, very weak concave curvature, blunt distal part, green colour, light green immature seeds
SEED: simple starch grain, yellow cotyledon, no black hilum, ovoid shape, weak to medium wrinkling of cotyledon, medium size, early maturity

DISEASE REACTION: moderately resistant to wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi) and mycosphaerella blight and ascochyta foot rot (Mycosphaerella pinodes, Phoma medicaginias var. pinodella) and resistant to powdery mildew (Erysiphe polygoni)

Origin & Breeding History: 'Earlystar', which was tested as MP1862, was developed at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada from the cross 'CDC Mozart' by 'P9561098' made in 2001 using a pedigree selection method in combination with single seed descent. The initial cross was made in the greenhouse in the early spring of 2001 at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Station in Morden, Manitoba. The F1 and F2 were field grown in Morden during the 2001 and 2002 growing seasons where 150 plants were selected and advanced to the F3 generation in the greenhouse in the winter of 2002 using single seed descent. The F4 was grown in the field in 2003, and a total of 193 single plants were selected for early maturity and powdery mildew resistance. In 2004, all 193 single plant progenies were grown in the field in 1 square metre plots per line, from which 25 lines were selected for early maturity and lodging resistance. These lines were evaluated in a replicated preliminary yield test in 2005 in Morden, Manitoba and Lacombe, Alberta and eight lines were selected for high yield potential, good lodging resistance, round seed shape and medium seed size. These selected lines were further evaluated in replicated tests where one line, P0109-02, was selected, increased and purified. P0109-02 was entered in the 2008-2009 Western Canada Field Pea Cooperative Registration Test-B as entry MP1862.

Tests & Trials: Trials for 'Earlystar' were conducted during the summers of 2010 and 2011 at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Centre, Lacombe, Alberta. The trials consisted of 4 replications in a RCB design. Each plot was 5 metres long by 1 metre wide with 20 cm between rows. The seeding rate was 85 viable seeds per square metre. Measured characteristics were based on a minimum of 40 measurements.

Comparison tables for 'Earlystar' with reference variety 'Agassiz'

Plant height (cm)

Number of ovules per pod

Days to maturity