Genotype by environment studies across Australia reveal the importance of phenology for chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) improvement

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes comprising released cultivars, advanced breeding lines, and landraces of Australian, Mediterranean basin, Indian, and Ethiopian origin were evaluated at 5 representative sites (Merredin, WA; Minnipa, SA; Walpeup, Vic.; Tamworth, NSW; Warwick, Qld) over 2 years. Data on plant stand, early vigour, phenology, productivity, and yield components were collected at each site. Site yields ranged from 0.3 t/ha at Minnipa in 1999 to 3.5 t/ha at Warwick in 1999. Genotype by environment (G × E) interaction was highly significant. Principal components analysis revealed contrasting genotype interaction behaviour at dry, low-yielding sites (Minnipa 1999, Merredin 2000) and higher rainfall, longer growing-season environments (Tamworth 2000). Genotype clusters performing well under stress tended to yield well at all sites except Tamworth in 2000, and were characterised by early phenology and high harvest index, but were not different in terms of biomass or early vigour. Some of these traits were strongly influenced by germplasm origin. The material with earliest phenology came from Ethiopia, and southern and central India, with progressively later material from northern India and Australia, and finally the Mediterranean. There was a delay between the onset of flowering and podding at all sites, which was related to average temperatures immediately post-anthesis (r = –0.81), and therefore larger in early flowering material (>30 days at some sites). Harvest index was highest in Indian and Ethiopian germplasm, whereas crop height was greatest in Australian and Mediterranean accessions. Some consistently high yielding genotypes new to the Australian breeding program were identified (ICCV 10, BG 362), and the existing cultivar Lasseter was also confirmed to be very productive.

Significance of genetic resources of cool season annual legumes: III: Locally cultivated and maintained crop landraces

“…An SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that the content of crude protein in the grains of the local landraces of chickpea is in many cases under a strong influence of their geographic origin and with a wide variability of this very important agronomic trait (Nisar et al 2007). Similar results were obtained in a series of the trials including the local landraces of chickpea from Australia, Mediterranean basin, India and Ethiopia (Berger et al 2004). Cooking quality is very significant in chickpea, since it is used exclusively for human consumption.…”

Legume Crops Phylogeny and Genetic Diversity for Science and Breeding

“…Terminal drought is an almost ubiquitous stress in both Mediterranean and South Asian-type climates. Although chickpea has deep roots (Saxena et al, 1994), is able to extract water at depth (Zhang et al, 2000), and is capable of osmotic adjustment (Morgan et al, 1991;Basu et al, 2007;Turner et al, 2007), its principal adaptive strategy appears to be drought escape through early phenology (Silim and Saxena, 1993;Siddique et al, 2001;Berger et al, 2004Berger et al, , 2006. However, this must be balanced against its considerable chilling sensitivity, which causes chickpea to delay pod set until temperatures are warm enough.…”

Adaptive Significance of Within-site Variation in Morphological and Reproductive Traits of Naturalized Wild Radish (Raphanus raphanistrum) Populations in South-Western Australia

“…The sites were then grouped using K-means clustering using standardized environmental variables (variables standardized using Z-scores). Five 'geoclusters' were generated that were significantly different from other, with each cluster consisting of environmentally similar sites (Berger et al, 2004). Mean scores and their standard deviations were calculated for each of the geoclusters.…”