Biology question on pea plants?

A greenhouse manager raising sweet peas notices that unlike the plants she has had in other years, some of the flowers this year are white. Previously, the pea flowers have been purple. What explanation would account for this difference in the plants?

Biology question on pea plants?
it sounds as though the pea plants she has had in other years had the recessive white gene and the dominant purple one. hence, they were purple. this year, however, when the plants were "crossed", the luck of the draw determined that the dominant gene was not passed along, and so in the absence of a dominant gene to make the flowers purple, they are white.
Reply:Mutation or wrong effect of pesticides etc.
Reply:Either mutation, or fertilazation of the pea plant from a foriegn pea plant, not in the greenhouse. See this is explained through mendelian genetics, look it up its helpful.
Reply:maybe you should do your own bio homework...
Reply:The pea plants could have had the recessive white gene.
Reply:White can be recessive. Say purple = A and White =a


Both parents are Aa. So when you cross 2 Aa plants you'll get AA (purple), Aa (purple), aA (Purple), and aa (white!) This works if your teacher meant a genetic reason.
Reply:Hey, no fair, I wasn't able to post my homework questions when I needed help! :)