Study on pod development and ventral suture structure of shattering-resistant common vetch

The abscission layer cells and machine tensile generated by cellular water loss were the main causes of pod shattering in shattering-susceptible common vetch (Vicia sativa), but the organizational structure is unclear. This study, using shattering-resistant V. sativa subsp. sativa No.135 as the research material, analyzed its dynamic changes in pod morphology, moisture content, germination rate and anatomical structure of ventral suture cross section during pod development to explore the pod shattering-resistant mechanism and provide a theoretical basis for determining optimal harvest time. The results elucidated two main points: 1) When the pods of V. sativa subsp. sativa No.135 turned to brown-black at about 26 days after peak anthesis, they reached their maximum size and dry weight; when the germination rate was high, the hard seed percentage and the water content were low. 2) The parenchyma cells between the two vascular bundles were not differentiated into abscission layers, but differentiated into sclerenchymatous cells and connected the vascular bundles, wholly formed by the parenchyma cells. The results showed that the optimum harvest time was 26 days after peak anthesis. The key cause of the shattering-resistant trait lies in the loss of layer cells and the parenchyma cells differentiated into the sclerenchymatous cells.