Intact funiculus in mature harvested seeds of field pea (Pisum sativum L.): preliminary investigation and possible implications

Abstract

A seed remains attached to mother plant through funiculus which is the only means of communication between seed and mother plant. In general, the funiculus is detached from seeds at maturity while harvesting and threshing. However, out of about 950 accessions of fieldpea (Pisum sativum) screened at ICAR‐Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur, India, eight accessions were identified to have intact funiculus in matured and harvested seed. The role of intact funiculus after maturity and harvesting is not yet known. This article summarizes the results of a preliminary investigation on the effect of presence of funiculus on mature harvested seeds of fieldpea on water uptake, as the region underneath the funiculus (hilum–micropylar region) is known to be actively involved in water imbibition by seed. We also propose the possible implications (positive and negative) of incorporation of such trait in high yielding cultivars. The preliminary investigation suggested that the presence of funiculus in harvested seeds has a significant but negative role in rate of water uptake, as the seeds of all eight accessions imbibed more water when funiculus was removed. Such an effect on water uptake, which triggers many physiological metabolisms of dry seed, could have an effect on rate and final germination, dormancy, seed shattering, and cooking time. Also, such genotypes are expected to perform better under high initial moisture and/or flood situation like rice (Oryza sativa) fallows.

Agro-Morphological Characterization of Lentil Germplasm of Indian National Genebank and Development of a Core Set for Efficient Utilization in Lentil Improvement Programs

“…An Intact funiculus may provide resilience to drought stress, resulting in high yields. This trait may help to gain area in rice-fallow areas of eastern India, where the crop is sown at conditions of conserved moisture (Lamichaney et al, 2021;Tripathi et al, 2021). Rice-wheat and rice-rice systems in the Indo-Gangetic plains dominate South Asia's cereal systems (Kumar et al, 2013).…”