Australia: Accelerated breeding used for the genetic gain in chickpeas

Published 2023년 3월 27일

Tridge summary

A team of researchers has used indoor LED lights to diversify the gene pool of domesticated chickpeas using genetics sourced from the wild chickpea species, Cicer echinospermum. The gene pool of 800 inbred chickpea lines with enhanced genetic diversity is publicly available at the Australian Grains Genebank. The technology, called accelerated-Single Seed Descent (aSSD), can process large numbers of breeding lines in a small, controlled-environment space and can be used to improve traits such as early vigor, disease resistance, and pod shatter. The team also plans to follow up testing in the field for temperature effects and to deliver crops with novel genetics that are useful for improving crop performance while also preparing a bank of genetically diverse material for future needs.

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Original content

The same team that first used indoor LED lights to reduce generation times within a number of crop breeding programs has now successfully achieved another important milestone, with important benefits to legume growers. In a novel application of this pioneering accelerated-Single Seed Descent (aSSD) technology, the gene pool of domesticated chickpeas was successfully diversified using genetics sourced from the wild chickpea species, Cicer echinospermum. A population of 800 inbred chickpea lines with enhanced genetic diversity are now publicly available at the Australian Grains Genebank (AGG) as a result of GRDC investment. The project overcame the main obstacle holding back both chickpea breeding and the crop’s wider adoption across different growing zones: namely, chickpea’s overly narrow gene pool that has limited the crop’s environmental adaptiveness and its resilience. Researcher Dr Janine Croser explains that aSSD is a complete plant growth system developed by her team at the ...

Source: GRDC