Evaluation of Seed Dormancy, One of the Key Domestication Traits in Chickpea

Abstract

Legume seed dormancy has been altered during the domestication process, resulting in non-dormant seeds with a testa that is readily permeable for water. Ultimately, this provides fast and uniform germination, in contrast to dormant seeds of the wild progenitor. To date, germination and seed dormancy were studied mostly in relation to two types of cultivated chickpea: kabuli and desi. We studied seed dormancy, from physiological and anatomical perspectives, in chickpea crops and compared cultivated chickpeas to the wild chickpea progenitor and set of recombinant inbred lines (RIL). There was significant difference in the macrosclereid length of parental genotypes. Cultivated chickpea (C. arietinum, ICC4958) had mean of 125 µm, while wild C. reticulatum (PI48977) had a mean of 165 µm. Histochemical staining of the seed coat also showed differences, mainly in terms of Sudan Red detection of lipidic substances. Imbibition and germination were tested and several germination coefficients were calculated. Cultivated chickpea seeds imbibed readily within 24 h, while the germination percentage of wild chickpea at various times was 36% (24 h), 46% (48 h), 60% (72 h) and reached 100% only after 20 days. RIL lines showed a broader distribution. This knowledge will ultimately lead to the identification of the underlying molecular mechanism of seed dormancy in chickpea, as well as allowing comparison to phylogenetically related legumes, such as pea, lentil and faba bean, and could be utilized in chickpea breeding programs.

Phenylpropanoid Content of Chickpea Seed Coats in Relation to Seed Dormancy

“…The kabuli type produces comparatively larger and smoother round seeds with thinner unpigmented seed coats; the seed coat forms approximately 5% of the total weight of the seed [ 1 , 2 ]. The larger-seeded kabuli type was likely derived from the smaller-seeded desi type [ 3 , 4 ], while seeds of the desi type are very similar to the seeds of the ancestor of cultivated chickpea, C. reticulatum Ladiz. [ 5 ].…”

“…In our previous study, we showed that dormancy is not directly related to the thickness of the seed coat in chickpea [ 4 ], and it is more likely to be mediated by the chemical composition of the seed coat. Here, we aim to take our investigation of dormancy a step further by analyzing the relative concentration of selected phenolic acids and flavonoids in the seed coats of wild and cultivated genotypes and derived recombinant inbred lines of the chickpea.…”

Genome-wide association mapping in hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) discovers a large effect locus controlling seed dormancy

“…Further genetic analysis will be aided by recently reported transcripts associated with seed coat formation in V. villosa ( Ali et al., 2023 ). Prior reports of legume seed dormancy reduction during domestication are through mutations that weaken the seed coat ( Smýkal et al., 2014 ; Sun et al., 2015 ; Chai et al., 2016 ; Sedláková et al., 2021 ; Soltani et al., 2021 ).…”

Seed Dormancy and Regulation of Germination

“…The contrasting germination and seed dormancy patterns have extensively been reported in chickpea (Cicer arietinum) by Sedlakova et al (2021). In groundnut seed dormancy, which causes huge economic losses due to in situ sprouting at times in Spanish-type varieties (Fig.…”