GREEN SEED COAT COLOUR RETENTION IN LENTIL - University ...

process. If small gains in desirability of green seed coat colour are adequate,
selections could be made at the time of yield selections with the same amount of
testing and measuring of the seed coat. In this case smaller gains would be made
but the heritability of the trait would be close to maximum so most phenotypic gains
at selection would actually be genotypic gains.
In either case parental material with more desirable green seed coat colour
must be found and incorporated into different crosses. Possible sources could
include past parental material and breeding lines from the breeding program or
green lentil breeding programs around the world. Gene banks could also be a useful
source of variability. For colour measurement the Acurum ® machine would work
well. It is calibrated to work for Canadian grade standards. It also is under going
evaluation in the commercial market as a grading tool. The machine would allow
for cost reduction of each individual sample measurement.
7.2 Maturity and Index Score
Lentil maturity may confound the index score of samples. In one year of the
preharvest treatment study a maturity effect was observed. One way to avoid any
maturity effect would be to harvest each plot at its own specific harvest maturity.
This would eliminate any maturity effect but would require a large amount of
labour. When performing selections a possible way to deal with a maturity effect
where longer maturing lines produce a more desirable index score is to estimate the
maturity of each line at harvest. Harvest would occur at the harvest timing of the
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