Development and Characterization of Low-Phytate Pea

The majority of the total phosphorus in seeds is stored in the form of phytate, a mixed-cation salt of phytic acid. Phytate is not well digested by humans and monogastric animals. Phosphorus excretion is one of the major pollutants of surface waters in many locations in the world. Important micronutrients such as iron and zinc bound to phytate are also excreted, potentially leading to micronutrient deficiencies. Low-phytate mutants have been developed in several crop species as one strategy to deal with the phytate problem. The objective of this research was the development of low-phytate pea (Pisum sativum L.) using chemical mutagenesis of cultivar CDC Bronco, and the agronomic characterization of two resulting lines. In these lines, phytate phosphorus concentration was reduced by approximately 60%, with a compensating increase in inorganic phosphorus. The low-phytate lines were similar in agronomic performance to CDC Bronco, except for somewhat slower time to flowering and maturity, slightly lower seed weight, and slightly lower grain yield. Low-phytate field pea should have potential to improve phosphorus and micronutrient bioavailability in human and animal diets.