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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Griffin, Georgia » Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #374316
Research Project: Conservation, Characterization, Evaluation, and Distribution of Grain, Oilseed, Vegetable, Subtropical and Tropical Legume, and Warm Season Grass Genetic Resources and Associated Information

Location: Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit

Title: Inheritance of a novel heterozygous peanut mutant, 5-small leaflet

Author
item BRANCH, W - University Of Georgia
item Tallury, Shyamalrau - Shyam
item CLEVENGER, J - Mars Chocolate North America
item SCHWARTZ, B - University Of Georgia
item HANNA, W - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: Peanut Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/10/2020
Publication Date: 4/11/2020
Citation: Branch, W.D., Tallury, S.P., Clevenger, J.P., Schwartz, B.M., Hanna, W.W. 2020. Inheritance of a novel heterozygous peanut mutant, 5-small leaflet. Peanut Science. 47:33-37. https://doi.org/10.3146/PS19-11.1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3146/PS19-11.1

Interpretive Summary: Naturally or spontaneously occurring mutants in peanut are of interest to researchers for use in genetic studies. Although the origin of such mutants is rare and not clearly understood, occasionally, they do occur among different types of peanut cultivars. The mutants usually show unique or distinguishable traits and are easy to spot among the plants. Many mutants show variations in leaf shape, size, color, and plant growth habit, which are easily visible to identify them among other plants. They are mainly used as markers in crosses to identify progenies and study their inheritance/genetics for academic interest. Occasionally, the mutants may display desirable traits that can be transferred to improve peanut cultivars.

Technical Abstract: An unusual 5-Small Leaflet mutant plant was found within the ‘Georgia Green’ runner-type peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivar. Subsequent selfing has not established a true-breeding 5-Small Leaflet genotype. It continues to segregate normal and 5-Small Leaflet plants but with a reduced number of normal leaf plants upon selection for 5-Small Leaflet phenotypes after several self-generations. F1, F2, F3, and F4 data suggests that the 5-Small Leaflet trait is dominant or possibly pseudo-dominant. Likewise, the 5-Small Leaflet mutant can only be used as a pollen parent in crosses, and it has approximately a 1:1 ratio of elongated to normal stigmas, respectively, on individual plants. This is an example of a novel heterozygous peanut mutant plant found within the cultivated allotetraploid peanut.