Feature: Riley Germplasm Partridge Pea Re-released as ‘Riley’

The Manhattan, Kansas, Plant Materials Center (PMC) Staff released Riley Germplasm showy partridge pea back in 1999 as a source identified type release. This prevarietal release was used in critical area and roadside beautification plantings in the PMC’s service area. Riley Germplasm was the only source-identified release that the Manhattan PMC had ever made. It was also the only annual legume species ever released from Manhattan. The PMC Staff continued to work with other Centers that had released partridge peas for commercial increase.

An intercenter strain trial (ICST) was established with Plant Materials Centers from Mississippi, south and east Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Kansas. All planted similar plots of Riley Germplasm, ‘Comanche’, and Lark Selection partridge peas.  Evaluations for stand, vigor, seed production, and seed maturity were carried out independently at the six individual locations from 2002-2004. ‘Riley’ exhibited earlier seed set than Comanche and Lark Selection in the Southern Plains and southeastern United States and was unaffected by late summer drought in this region.

Comanche and Lark Selection were poor seed producers at Manhattan and received seed production ratings of 8.7 and 8.0, respectively. Riley, however, was rated at 2.7 for the three-year period with a rating scale of 1 to 9, with 1 being the very best rating. Riley attained excellent stand and vigor ratings at Coffeeville, Mississippi, and Manhattan, Kansas, and excellent seed production ratings at Coffeeville, Manhattan, and Americus, Georgia.

The ICST results indicated that Riley would be an important partridge pea release for the Midwest and Southern Plains for conservation of natural resources. These tests provided enough difference between the three lines that we could justify elevating the material to a cultivar release and then discontinue the Riley Germplasm release for the PMC. It is believed that this is the first occasion that a prevarietal release has been elevated to cultivar status in the Plant Materials Program.