New Scientific Breakthrough Could Unlock Development of Sustainable, Resilient and Nutritious Pea Crops

An international research collaboration has successfully mapped the diversity of an important pea collection using genomics, bioinformatics, and genetics. This breakthrough has uncovered agriculturally useful genetic diversity on a large scale, providing a new gene bank and genomic resources that could revolutionize pea breeding. The study, published in Nature, builds on Gregor Mendel’s work on genetic inheritance in pea plants, offering new tools to increase understanding of genetic traits.

Researchers selected a representative sample of around 700 pea accessions from a collection of 3,500 worldwide, generating a vast amount of data that led to the creation of a global genomic map. By using Genome Wide Association Studies, the team identified regions of the genomes linked to valuable trait variation, connecting over 70 agronomic traits to specific genomic locations. The resource could be combined with modern technologies like gene editing and RNA sequencing to facilitate novel gene discovery and more predictive breeding, potentially leading to better-yielding, disease-resistant pea plants.

Peas are gaining recognition as a sustainable source of plant protein, with the ability to fix their own nitrogen and requiring less chemical fertiliser than other crops. A recent UK-based project focusing on creating new pea varieties for sustainable protein production highlights the importance of this research. The collaboration's genomic resource has been praised for its depth and breadth, sparking interest from researchers and multinational companies for its potential to revolutionize pea breeding worldwide.