Screening of Different Pea ( Pisum sativum L.) Genotypes for Osmotic Stress Resistance Using Selective in Vitro Systems

ABSTRACT Osmotic stress severely limits the growth and yield of pea ( Pisum sativum L.). It is essential to identify the osmotic stress‐tolerant genotypes in early stages of growth for optimizing pea production under adverse conditions. This study aimed to assess osmotic stress tolerance in a diverse collection of various pea genotypes using in vitro screening with sorbitol‐induced osmotic stress. The genotypes were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with three sorbitol concentrations—0.0 M (control), 0.1 M, and 0.2 M. Various key growth parameters were evaluated. Results demonstrated that osmotic stress negatively impacted germination and growth in susceptible varieties, while tolerant varieties exhibited resilience. Among the tested genotypes, BD4142 exhibited the best performance under maximum stress level (0.2 M sorbitol), with a germination rate of 43.33%, notable shoot (19.33 mm) and root (32 mm) lengths, and the highest plant fresh weight (258.32 mg). Further cluster analysis classified the genotypes into four distinct groups: highly susceptible, low osmotic tolerance, moderate osmotic tolerance, and high osmotic tolerance. BD4142 and BD4209 were identified as highly osmotic‐tolerant, where BD4142 emerged as the most stable genotype based on the Multi‐Trait Selection Index (MTSI). These findings indicate that BD4142 could be a promising genotype for cultivation under osmotic stress conditions.