🧬 Chickpea — Breeding Objectives and Methods
Breeding objectives and methods in chickpea (Cicer arietinum). Desi vs kabuli types, wilt resistance, machine harvestability, and quality improvement.
This lesson explains chickpea crop improvement from origin and market classes to breeding goals for yield, stress tolerance, and disease-pest resistance.
Origin and Classification
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L., 2n = 2x = 16) belongs to the family Fabaceae and is the most important pulse crop in India, contributing about 45% of total pulse production. India is the largest producer and consumer of chickpea globally. The primary centre of origin is South-West Asia (present-day Turkey and adjoining regions). Chickpea is classified into two main types: Desi type (small, angular, dark-coloured seeds with rough seed coat, constituting about 85% of global production) and Kabuli type (large, owl-head shaped, cream/white coloured seeds with smooth seed coat, commanding premium market price). Chickpea is a highly self-pollinated crop with less than 1% natural outcrossing.
Breeding Objectives
The primary breeding objectives include yield improvement through development of tall, erect plant types with more pods per plant and higher harvest index. Fusarium wilt resistance is the most critical biotic stress target, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri; eight physiological races (0, 1A, 1B/C, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) have been identified, and breeding for resistance to prevalent races is essential. Resistance to Ascochyta blight (Ascochyta rabiei) is important especially in northern India and Mediterranean regions. Pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera) resistance through antibiosis and antixenosis mechanisms, high trichome density, and malic acid content is also targeted. Machine harvestability requires tall, erect, non-lodging plant types with pods set above the ground. Early maturity (escaping terminal drought and heat), drought tolerance, and herbicide tolerance are additional objectives. Quality improvement focuses on high protein content (>22%), large seed size in kabuli types, and low anti-nutritional factors like trypsin inhibitors.
Breeding Methods and Achievements
Chickpea improvement relies on pedigree method, bulk method, and backcross method. Since chickpea flowers are small and cleistogamous, hybridization is technically challenging and requires careful emasculation before anthesis. The use of interspecific hybridization with wild Cicer species (C. reticulatum, C. echinospermum) has been attempted for introgression of disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance genes. Marker-assisted selection using SSR and SNP markers linked to Fusarium wilt resistance genes (foc1-foc5) is being applied. Notable Indian varieties include Pusa 256, JG 11, JG 14, JG 16 (desi, wilt resistant), KAK 2 and MNK 1 (kabuli types), and ICC 4958 (drought tolerant). ICRISAT, Hyderabad, and IIPR, Kanpur, are major centres for chickpea improvement. Super-early varieties maturing in 85-90 days have been developed for rice-fallow systems.
Summary Cheat Sheet
Quick Recall Points
- Chickpea is self-pollinated and has 2n=16.
- Main market classes are desi and kabuli.
- Key targets: Fusarium wilt resistance, early maturity, and machine harvestability.
Exam Traps
- Kabuli type is larger seeded and premium priced; do not interchange class traits.
- Wilt resistance must be interpreted race-wise, not as a single universal resistance.
References
2 sources • [1] [2]
References
Chickpea Breeding and Management
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