Varietal Selection and Comparison of Butterfl y Pea (Clitoria ternatea L.) for High Yield and Anthocyanin

Abstract

Common cultivars of butterfly pea have genetic diversity because of natural crossing hybridization by insects. Thus, their populations become mixed genotypes or heterogeneous population. Therefore, yields as well as flower characteristics and physiochemical properties are not stable. In 2011-2013, mixed population of common cultivar butterfly pea was grown and selected by using pure line selection at Phichit Agricultural Research and Development Center. This research aims to select pure lines of butterfly pea for high flower yield, high number of petals/flower and high total anthocyanin weight. In 2014, four selected pure lines of butterfly pea; line numbers 7-1-16, 14-4-2, 18-2-5 and 13 were compared with common cultivar in randomized complete block design (RCB) The Results showed that line number 7-1-16 gave the highest fresh flower yield of 1,639 kg/rai but was not significantly different from line number 13 and common cultivar which gave the fresh flower yield of 1,150 and 1,144 kg/rai, Line number 14-2-2, 13 and 18-2-5 gave the highest total anthocyanin weight of 74.7, 74.0 and 72.5 mg/100 g fresh petal, respectively. The total anthocyanin weights were 12, 11 and 9% higher than the common cultivar, respectively. Line number 7-1-16, 13 and common cultivar had 34, 37 and 38 days after planting to first harvest respectively which was significantly difference at 5% level by DMRT. Line numbers 7-1-16 and 13 gave 5 petals/flower with convolute flower arrangement whereas common cultivar gave 4 and 5 petals/flower and the flower arrangement was overlap. The genetic diversity among four selected pure lines was investigated using ISSR-Touchdown PCR technique. The results showed that the genetic relationship among three selected pure lines were 98-99% similarity.