Genetic diversity and population structure of Algerian chickpea (Cicer arietinum) genotypes: use of agro-morphological traits and molecular markers linked or not linked to the gene or QTL of interest

Abstract

Assessment of genetic diversity among chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) germplasm at the morphological and molecular levels is fundamental for chickpea breeding and conservation of genetic resources. Genetic variability of 46 chickpea genotypes including 42 Algerian genotypes and four control varieties was evaluated by using 15 agro-morphological traits. Eleven molecular markers including nine simple sequence repeats, one sequence characterised amplified region (SCY17) and one gene-specific (CaETR4) were used to characterise the 46 genotypes and eight references varieties added for disease resistance or susceptibility. Genotypes resistant to ascochyta blight were identified by the markers SCY17 and CaETR4 present together. High diversity was observed for all measured morphological traits between genotypes. Yield components, plant height, phenological traits and growth habit were the traits most involved in variation among genotypes and were partitioned into four groups by using principal component analysis. All molecular markers were polymorphic. In total, 91 alleles were obtained ranging from 2 to 21 per locus with average of 8.27 alleles per marker. Polymorphism information content ranged from 0.58 to 0.99 with an average value of 0.87. UPGMA clustering and Bayesian-based model structure analysis grouped genotypes into two clusters, but the distribution of the genotypes by cluster was not the same for the two analyses. According to the presence of markers indicating resistance to ascochyta blight (SCY17 and CaETR4), three resistant genotypes (FLIP 82-C92, ILC 6909, ILC 7241) were selected and should be tested in controlled conditions for confirmation. Considering the narrow diversity of cultivated chickpea, the Algerian genotypes can be considered as interesting for future breeding programs.