Prediction of the Developmental Stage of the Embryo in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Abstract

When undertaking experiments with fruits and ovules in tissue culture, it is important for embryos to be at the same developmental stage. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) plants cv. Hermosillo were grown under growth chamber conditions. Length, width, fresh weight, dry weight, total number of ovules, and no. of growing ovules were measured in the fruits. The embryos were classified according to their developmental stage as globular, early heart, heart, late heart, and torpedo. Data were analyzed using correlations, multiple regression, and path coefficient analysis. Embryo stage (ES) was highly correlated with days after pollination (DAP), pod fresh weight, pod dry weight, pod length, pod width and length x width. Regression analysis indicated that the best estimates of ES using one, two or three independent variables can be obtained with pod length (R 2 = 0-726); pod fresh weight (R* = 0-726); DAP and fresh weight (R* = 0797); DAP, fresh weight and number of growing ovules (R 2 = 0-836), respectively. Path coefficient analysis showed that pod fresh wt is the most important variable affecting ES.