Genetic diversity of the Grain Gene Bank provided Pisum sativum (L.) accessions, including Chinese Core collection, in rainfall conditions in western Algeria using phenotypic markers

To achieve food security in the face of fast population expansion and climate change, it is vital to expand agriculture in developing countries and increase productivity while preserving natural resources. Using genetic resources, plant breeders can create new and enhanced cultivars that possess advantageous traits (adaption, production, and resistance). The current study aims to characterize 95 Pisum sativum accessions grown in rainfall conditions in western Algeria to use them in breeding programs or upgrade existing plant material. The pea accessions provided by the USDA Grains Gene Bank were installed in rainfall conditions. Morphological, phenological, and agronomic assessments were carried out. The statistical analysis revealed significant variation between the accessions for all studied parameters. Five clusters were identified through the classification process. Factor analyses of mixed data of 19 traits identified nine principal components with eigenvalues greater than 1 accounting 73.979% of the total variation. The initial two dimensions explain 32.277% of the variance, with the first dimension contributing 18.426% and the second dimension contributing 13.85%. The traits were associate in three negatively correlating groups. The classification of accessions for the assessed parameters revealed that the accessions P. sativum-Eth (1), PI 193843, Ma Rou Wan, Tai Ba Cou, and Bai Wan (3) were the best-performing accessions. The accessions L 1918, L 1944, and L 1405 were the tardiest, however the accessions Liu Tang Ke Wan, JI 159, and PIS 511 were earlier. Numerous accessions demonstrated desirable features, allowing them to be chosen and used in plant improvement and/or varietal creation programs.