Nutritional compositions and functional properties of New Ethiopian chickpea varieties: Effects of variety, grown environment and season

Abstract

ABSTRACT Chickpeas are nutritious legumes, which are a rich source of proteins, fiber, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals. Factors affect the nutritional composition of crops including chickpeas like variety, growing environments and seasons are the most common. Studies have not yet reported on the effects of variety, grown location, and grown season on specifically for Ethiopia chickpea nutritional and functional characteristics. To address this, eleven released chickpea varieties were grown at three locations in Ethiopia, during 2018 and 2019 main cropping season, representing three different agroecological environments. Then functional properties, proximate and minerals composition and in chickpea flour were determined. Variation in most nutritional composition and functional properties of eleven chickpea varieties were observed among grown within each location in each season. Statistical analysis of combined data showed significant differences among varieties, locations, and grown season for each measured parameter. High proportion of the total variation for almost studied parameters explained by the main effects of variety indicates a significant heritability for them. Growing location was found to have a significant effect on all functional properties except OAC, total ash, crude fat, crude protein, carbohydrate, energy, calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. Grown Season was found to affect OAC, WAC, SC, FS, EA, total ash, calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. Rainfall is the climate characteristic that may be responsible for these year-dependent differences. HC and SC (r = 0.902) and energy and fat (r = 0.800) showed positive correlation whereas, carbohydrate and protein (r = −0.896) and energy and fiber (r = −0.674) showed negative correlation. The current study established a better understanding of the varietal effects of genotype and environment on functional and nutritional composition properties of chickpea flours.