Abstract
The development of chickpea cultivars with high quality grains for human consumption is an important objective in breeding programs. Genotype and environment effects on seed quality traits (sensorial, nutritional and physical) were studied in chickpea dry grain. Twenty genotypes were grown in winter and spring sowings over two campaigns in four different locations in southern Spain. Significant differences were observed in oil, acid detergent fiber (ADF) and protein content between sowing times (S). In winter, oil and ADF content were higher, while protein content was lower. Although, in general, highly significant variation was detected for genotype (G), environment (E) and single interactions (GE, GS and ES), the genotype effect was stronger for ADF, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), oil, starch and protein content, and for physical and sensory traits (r2>27%). In contrast, environment played an important role in variation in the content of amylose and amylopectin (r2=71.7%). No high relationships were found between the sensory and nutritional or physical characteristics studied. In general, our results suggest a high genetic gain for seed quality in nutritional, physical and sensory traits in chickpea. Genotypes with good seed sensory quality should be selected in the final stages of the breeding program, because it is not feasible to evaluate very large numbers of samples. However, in some cases, moderate correlations were found between sensory and either nutritional or physical traits. Therefore, indirect selection to increase the frequency of genes for sensory traits in an early stage should be considered.
Highlights
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a widely used legume in the world because it is considered an excellent source of dietary protein (Frias et al, 2000)
In general, highly significant variation was detected for genotype (G), environment (E) and single interactions (GE, genotype-sowing time (GS) and ES), the genotype effect was stronger for acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), oil, starch and protein content, and for physical and sensory traits (r2>27%)
The genotype effect was stronger than the effects of the environment and sowing time for some nutritional (ADF, NDF, oil, protein and starch content) and physical traits (r2>30%)
Summary
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a widely used legume in the world because it is considered an excellent source of dietary protein (Frias et al, 2000). The fatty acid composition and high amounts of unsaturated fatty acids in chickpea make it a special legume, suitable for many nutritional applications, potentially including a role in the prevention and treatment of chronic health problems such as cardiovascular disease (Zia-Ul-Haq et al, 2007; Jukanti et al, 2012). It can be considered a cheap source of high quality protein in developing countries. The increased interest in chickpea has triggered the publication of many review papers concerning various aspects of chickpea seed quality (Williams & Singh, 1987; Wood & Grusak, 2007; Jukanti et al, 2012)
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