Author
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Fery, Richard |
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Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 3/25/2002 Publication Date: 6/18/2002 Citation: FERY, R.L. 'DOUBLEGREEN DELIGHT', A CREAM-TYPE SOUTHERNPEA WITH AN ENHANCED PERSISTENT GREEN SEED PHENOTYPE. HORTSCIENCE. 2002. v.37p.991-992 Interpretive Summary: Southernpea varieties with the green cotyledon seed color trait have been adopted by the frozen food industry in recent years because the seeds of such varieties can be harvested at the dry stage of maturity without loss of their fresh green color. However, cultivars with the green cotyledon trait must be harvested in a timely manner because the seeds are susceptible to color loss due to blanching when harvest is delayed. About eleven years ago, an effort was initiated at the U.S. Vegetable Laboratory in Charleston, SC, to develop a cream-type southernpea cultivar with a persistent gene color conditioned by the two genes, i.e., the green cotyledon gene and the green testa gene, known to condition green seed color. These efforts resulted in the August 2001 release of DoubleGreen Delight. A major attribute of the new cultivar is the persistence of the green color of unharvested dry seeds long after optimal harvest time. Growers of DoubleGreen Delight have a considerable harvest window for harvesting a high-color product. Additionally, the dry seeds have a richer and more uniform green color than dry seeds of any green-seeded southernpea variety currently available to American growers. DoubleGreen Delight is recommended for use by the food freezing and dry-pack bean industries and home gardeners. Technical Abstract: The USDA has released the first southernpea cultivar that has a persistent green seed phenotype conditioned by both the green cotyledon gene (gc) and the green testa (gt) gene. The new cultivar, named DoubleGreen Delight, is a cream-type that produces dry seeds that have a richer and more uniform green color than dry seeds of either green cotyledon or green testa phenotype cultivars. DoubleGreen Delight seeds are much less susceptible t color loss due to blanching when harvest is delayed than are seeds of green cotyledon phenotype cultivars. DoubleGreen Delight originated as a bulk of an F9 (Bettergreen x Freezegreen) population grown in 1995. DoubleGreen Delight produces dry pods at Charleston, SC, in 65 to 71 days, usually about two to three days later than Bettergreen. The ovate to reniform shape of dry DoubleGreen Delight peas is similar to the shape of dry Bettergreen peas. DoubleGreen Delight peas have a smooth seed coat and are somewhat smaller than Bettergreen peas (weight per 100 dry peas: DoubleGreen Delight, 9.1 g; and Bettergreen, 9.7 g). The results of replicated trials indicate that the yield potential of DoubleGreen Delight is equal to that of Bettergreen. DoubleGreen Delight is recommended for use by the food freezing and dry-pack bean industries and home gardeners. |
