ARS | Publication request: THE EFFECTS OF YEARS AND PLANTING DATE ON PHENOLOGICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN CORIANDER (CORIANDRUM SATIVUM L.) POPULATIONS

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: July 12, 2006
Publication Date: September 3, 2006
Citation: Lopez, P.A., Widrlechner, M.P., Bailey, T.B., Gardner, C.A. 2006. The effects of years and planting date on phenological and morphological characteristics in coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) populations [abstract]. Mexican Society of Plant Genetics Congress Book of Abstracts. p. 118.

Technical Abstract: The effects of years and planting dates on phenological and morphological traits in coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) were evaluated during 2002 and 2003 to help determine how these factors influence trait expression and how they can affect the characterization of germplasm collections. This study was conducted as part of a project to characterize coriander germplasm collections maintained at the USDA-ARS North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station (NCRPIS) in Ames, Iowa, USA, which is part of the National Plant Germplasm System. This study was carried out at the field facilities of the NCRPIS. During summer 2002, 139 accessions were evaluated, and, on the basis of data collected that year, 60 populations from 28 different countries were selected for a replicated field evaluation in 2003, with two planting dates. Results presented here result from data collected on these 60 populations tested in both years. Seven phenological characteristics, six vegetative morphological traits, and seven reproductive morphological traits were measured. Basic statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were generated for every trait. The ANOVA was divided in two parts; the first approach, a combined analysis, had years and populations as sources of variation. The second approach utilized only data from 2003, with planting dates, populations and the interaction planting date by population, as sources of variation. During the growing season, maximum and minimum temperatures and precipitation were recorded and photoperiods and growing degree-days estimated. Temperature regimens were similar for the 2002 and 2003 growing seasons; however, growing degree-days were somewhat higher in 2002. More significantly, precipitation in the 2003 season was twice that received in 2002. All the traits measured in coriander showed wide variation. Furthermore, differences in environmental conditions did affect the expression of phenotypic variables; for instance, 95% of the traits showed significant statistical differences between years and 100% of the characteristics showed differences among populations. From the 2003 analysis, 71% of the variables were significantly different between planting dates, 95% were different among populations and 71% of the traits showed significant interactions between planting date and population. Notably, a high proportion of the reproductive morphological traits did not display significant interactions. We conclude that diverse phenotypic variation exists in the coriander collection maintained at the NCRPIS; further, phenotypic variables were affected by years and planting dates. Therefore, phenotypic characterization should be complemented by traits that are less affected by the environment, such as molecular markers.