Genetic Improvement of Field Pea (Pisum sativum L.) in Bulgaria.

Field pea attained greater importance as a cultivated plant in Bulgaria at the beginning of the 20th century. Until 1964, only breeding for forage was in use, with developed winter varieties No. 5 and Pleven 2. Recently, field pea achieved the greatest increase (283.3%) in the sown areas, since the variety structure was updated annually. There are 10 registered varieties in total, with 7 spring and 3 winter ones. The composition of the Bulgarian Pisum collections is highly variable, with accessions of diverse status. The greatest efficiency is obtained in a combination of bulk method in the early generations and certain features of pedigree, single seed method, with possible modifications and inclusion of the mutational variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]