VARIABILITY IN GRAIN PROTEIN-CONCENTRATION OF PEAS AND LENTILS GROWN IN AUSTRALIA

Protein and yield data were obtained from South Australian and Interstate pea and lentil variety trials conducted between 1986 and 1989, covering 94 pea and 58 lentil genotypes. Crude protein concentration varied significantly across sites and averaged 25.0% in peas and 24.4% in lentils. Protein concentration was not significantly correlated with yield at most individual sites. Minimum protein concentration in peas was 1.6% below the mean of three check cultivars in line RA155, while the maximum was 2.3% above that mean in lines P255-2 and P262-1. In lentils the range was 1.2% above the check mean in ILL5562 and 1.0% below in ILL6017. A further lentil genotype, 'Chilean', was 6.0% above controls, but was inadequately replicated in these trials. Genotypic variation in pea and lentil protein concentration was lower than in many other species, but the lack of correlation between protein and yield suggests that independent selection of both characters during breeding is possible and should be successful without the rate of gain in one trait being reduced by that in the other.