Screening of chickpea accessions with a set of economically valuable features

Abstract

The results of studying 349 chickpea accessions received from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Patancheru, India) and the National Center for Plant Genetic Resources of Ukraine (Kharkiv, Ukraine) in the South of Ukraine in 2013-2015 are presented. Sources of valuable traits (yield, «emergence-anthesis» period, growing season length, 1000-seed weight, and protein content in seeds) were identified. They can be used as starting material in chickpea breeding.

The aim and tasks of the study. The purpose was to study starting material of chickpea in order to identify sources of valuable economic features.

Materials and methods. 349 collection accessions received from the Institute of Plant Production nd. a. VYa Yuriev (Kharkiv) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT, India) and diverse in botanical, eco-geographical and breeding characteristics were taken as the test material.

     The experiments were carried out in the fields of the experimental farm «Dachna» of the Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetics in 2013-2015.

Results and discussion. We noticed high variability in the traits under investigation attributed to the weather fluctuations. 2015 was the most favorable year for the chickpea growth and development. The seed yield of the standard Budzhak was 253.2 g/m², with the growing season length of 92 days. NEC 1051 (Iran) gave 259.3 g/m² (94 days); R 9624 (USA) – 286.7 g/m². The 1000-seed weight, one of the main yield elements, varied, depending on the varietal characteristics cultivation conditions. The variability of this trait in 2013-2015 was within 253.5 g (NEC 2559, Afghanistan) – 471.5 g (P 9623, USA). On average throughout the study, P 2 774 HR (ICRISAT) from India was more productive than the standard. Its performance was 167.6 g/m², 1000-seed weight –442.2 g, and the growing season length – 90 days. We found that the larger 1000-seed weight was, the less stable it was under the influence of external factors. Accessions P 2 774 HR (ICRISAT), NEC 1051, P 9624, and Belaya nobul-23 slightly changed this parameter in response to extreme conditions. The increased protein content in seeds was recorded in P 2080 from Iran (20.6%), NEC 2425 from Turkey (19.7%), NEC 1051 from Iran (19.6%), and NEC 2559 from Afghanistan (19.5%) in relation to the standard Budzhak (18.6%). It is noteworthy that this feature is greatly affected by the environmental.

There were correlations between quantitative characteristics of chickpea plants. We found that the plant performance positively correlated with the growing season length (r = 0.11) and 1000-seed weight (r = 0.13) in 2013. The protein content slightly correlated with other economically valuable traits. The 1000-seed weight positively correlated with the growing season length in all the study years. There was a similar correlation for the seed productivity.

Conclusions. The three-year study of the collection accessions from different countries allowed us to distinguish P 22774 HR (ICRISAT), NEC 1051, P 9624, and Belaya nobul-23, which slightly responded to the environment conditions, as ecologically plastic.

     Some varieties are noticeable for by high and stable performance; they are mid-early with large seeds and 1000-seed weight over400 g. They are also highly resistant to diseases in the field.

The high protein content was determined in P 2080 from Iran (20.6%), NEC 2425 from Turkey (19.7%), NEC1051 from Iran (19.6%), and NEC 2559 from Afghanistan (19.5%), while the protein content in the standard Budzhak was 18.6%.

     The relationships between the quantitative traits in chickpea were studied, depending on the growing conditions (2013 – 2015).

We recommend these sources of valuable traits for chickpea breeding in Ukraine and other countries.