Breeding for improved drought tolerance in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important legume crop as a protein source across the world. It is mostly grown on arid and marginal lands where it faces drought stress at different growth stages. Drought stress exerts drastic effects on nutrient uptake, hinders the nodule formation and adversely affects yield and yield components. Generally drought at any growth stage and organizational level is responsible for reduction in economic yield. Significant variability in chickpea germplasm is present on the basis of responses to drought stress in the form of drought escape, drought avoidance and drought tolerance; these mechanisms prevent chickpea crop from harmful effects of drought. Improvement in chickpea germplasm against drought stress could be made by using several breeding approaches, that is introduction, hybridization, mutation breeding, marker-assisted breeding and omic techniques. These breeding approaches, especially marker-assisted breeding and omics, are further strengthened with the availability of the chickpea genome sequence. This review highlighted the significance, status and advances in different breeding strategies for improvement of drought tolerance in chickpea.

Legume genetic resources and transcriptome dynamics under abiotic stress conditions

“…In addition, a shift in cultivated land use toward legume production can potentially lower the carbon footprint for the production of proteins needed for human consumption, increase N use efficiency, and enhance soil fertility (Considine et al, ; Foyer et al, ; Song et al, ; Sosa‐Valencia et al, ). However, the sustainability of legume crop production is threatened by the increasing incidence of environmental stresses, including persistent drought, increasing soil salinity, heat waves, and soil nutritional deficiencies (Aranjuelo, Cabrerizo, Aparicio‐Tejo, & Arrese‐Igor, ; Kunert et al, ; Maqbool, Aslam, & Ali, ; Nasr Esfahani et al, ; Valdés‐López et al, ; Zhang et al, ). For these reasons, it is essential to intensify legume genetic enrichment programmes, by using advanced breeding approaches and techniques, to develop legume cultivars that possess genetic resilience to environmental stresses.…”

“…However, the sustainability of legume crop production is threatened by the increasing incidence of environmental stresses, including persistent drought, increasing soil salinity, heat waves, and soil nutritional deficiencies (Aranjuelo, Cabrerizo, Aparicio-Tejo, & Arrese-Igor, 2014;Kunert et al, 2016;Maqbool, Aslam, & Ali, 2017;Nasr Esfahani et al, 2017;Valdés-López et al, 2016;Zhang et al, 2017). For these reasons, it is essential to intensify legume genetic enrichment programmes, by using advanced breeding approaches and techniques, to develop legume cultivars that possess genetic resilience to environmental stresses.…”

Selection and screening of drought tolerant high yielding chickpea genotypes based on physio-biochemical indices and multi-environmental yield trials

“…Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) the second most important grain legume cultivated by resource poor farmers in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world especially Pakistan [27,42]. It is mostly grown under rainfed conditions.…”

“…Drought is a complex abiotic stress, which affects various physiological and biochemical processes of crop plants. These disturbances cause growth reduction, decrease in chlorophyll contents, decrease in ascorbic acid, increase in proline accumulation, hydrogen peroxide [14,27,28]. These attributes can be used to screen genotypes for drought tolerance.…”

“…Understanding of genetic manipulation to encounter the drought stress like, drought escape, drought avoidance and drought tolerance is necessary to develop drought tolerant or resistant crop plant [27,39,41]. Drought tolerance is complex phenomenon established through biosynthesis of osmolytes or compatible solutes, osmoprotectants and secondary metabolites and adjusting water relations [22,27,29].…”