Chickpea Seeds Research Articles

Synthesis and Characterisation of Chickpea Peptides-Zinc Chelates Having ACE2 Inhibitory Activity.

Tryptic hydrolysates of protein fractions obtained by the Osborne method from chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds interacted with zinc ions and the results of chelation were monitored by the Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) technique. The glutelin hydrolysate (GluHyd) reacted with zinc ions and depicted a relatively higher zinc content. For this reason, the zinc complex of the glutelin hydrolysate (GluHyd-Zn) was studied deeper, and 11 peptides were identified in its more zinc-containing second fraction obtained after gel filtration. The peptide HKERVQLHIIPTAVGK showed a relatively higher chelating capacity (57.86 ± 2.14%). According to the result of the ICP-OS analysis, 1mg peptide could chelate 381.61 ± 133.39µg zinc, and the molar ratio of peptide-zinc was about 1:4. Spectral methods proved that side chain and C-termini carboxyl groups of the peptide mostly were involved in chelation and N atoms of amino side chains, imidazole group of histidine, and N-termini at some extents were occupied by the metal ions. Modeling of zinc-peptide interaction was done using Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) software. The results of the docking correlate with the experimental data.ACE2 inhibitory effect of HKERVQLHIIPTAVGK-Zn complex (IC50 = 1.5mg/mL) was better than that of HKERVQLHIIPTAVGK (IC50 = 2.2mg/mL).

Evaluation of Total Isoflavones in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Sprouts Germinated under Precursors (p-Coumaric Acid and L-Phenylalanine) Supplementation.

Cicer arietinum L. (Bengal gram, chickpea) is one of the major pulse crops and an important part of traditional diets in Asia, Africa, and South America. The present study was conducted to determine the changes in total isoflavones during sprouting (0, 3, and 7 days) along with the effect of two precursor supplementations, p-coumaric acid (p-CA) and L-phenylalanine (Phe), in C. arietinum. It was observed that increasing sprouting time up to the seventh day resulted in ≈1282 mg 100 g-1 isoflavones, which is approximately eight times higher than chickpea seeds. The supplementation of Phe did not affect the total length of sprouts, whereas the supplementation of p-CA resulted in stunted sprouts. On the third day of supplementation with p-CA (250 mg L-1), the increase in the total phenolic content (TPC) (80%), daidzein (152%), and genistin (158%) contents were observed, and further extending the supplementation reduced the growth of sprouts. On the seventh day of supplementation with Phe (500 mg L-1), the increase in TPC by 43% and genistin content by 74% was observed compared with non-treated sprouts; however, the total isoflavones content was found to be 1212 mg 100 g-1. The increased TPC was positively correlated with the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity (r = 0.787) and ferric-reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) (r = 0.676) activity. This study suggests that chickpea sprouts enriched in TPC and antioxidants can be produced by the appropriate quantity of precursor supplementation on a particular day. The results indicated major changes in the phytochemical content, especially daidzein and genistin. It was also concluded that the consumption of 100 g of seventh-day sprouts provided eight times higher amounts of isoflavones in comparison to chickpea seeds.

Beta vulgaris extract assisted green synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles: antimicrobial and nano priming studies

In this present study, we report the synthesis of surface-modified zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) using chemical method (Z) as well as green method using Beta vulgaris extract (BvZ). The band gap energy of BvZ (3.14 eV) was found to be greater than that of Z (3.0 eV) owing to its smaller particle size. The X-ray diffraction patterns reveal the reduction in crystallite size for BvZ when compared to Z. TEM and SEM images show the agglomeration of particles for BvZ and spherical morphology for Z. The XPS spectra of the BvZ NPs were studied to confirm the oxidation state of Zn ions. Antimicrobial activities of BvZ and Z were tested against bacterial strains such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus and fungal strains viz., Candida tropicalis, and Aspergillus niger. The seed germination property of BvZ for chickpea seeds was also studied.

Rapid and non-destructive detection of hard to cook chickpeas using NIR hyperspectral imaging and machine learning

Identification of Hard to Cook (HTC) chickpeas in a rapid, non-destructive manner is crucial for the pulse processing industry. This study investigated the potential of near infrared (NIR) hyperspectral imaging (HSI) system to classify chickpeas into HTC and Easy to Cook (ETC) (control) categories. Two types of HTC chickpeas were created using eight different varieties of chickpeas: the first type was created by storing under suboptimal conditions, while the second type was created with chemical treatment. A total of eight hundred sixty-four chickpea seeds ({control- 36; physically hardened-36 seeds; chemically hardened-36 seeds} × 8 varieties) were used in this study. The chickpeas were imaged using a NIR-HSI system in the spectral range of 900–2500 nm. The cooking time of individual chickpea seed was measured using an automated Mattson cooker and the spectral data was correlated with the measured reference cooking time of chickpeas to develop the calibration model. Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis (PLSDA), Support Vector Classifier (SVC) and Convolutional Neural Network-Attention (CNN-ATT) models was used for model development based on full spectrum and significant wavelengths. The optimal models were obtained using the SVC and CNN-ATT which demonstrated 100% accuracy in classifying the chickpeas into HTC and ETC. Besides, the cooking time of control (ETC) and HTC chickpeas were predicted using One Dimensional Convolutional Neural Network (1D-CNN) with Correlation Coefficient of Prediction (R2p) and Root Mean Square Error of Prediction (RMSEP) values of 0.880 and 0.662 respectively indicating the potential of this approach in developing robust model for cooking time prediction in other pulses.

Phenylpropanoid Content of Chickpea Seed Coats in Relation to Seed Dormancy.

The physical dormancy of seeds is likely to be mediated by the chemical composition and the thickness of the seed coat. Here, we investigate the link between the content of phenylpropanoids (i.e., phenolics and flavonoids) present in the chickpea seed coat and dormancy. The relationship between selected phenolic and flavonoid metabolites of chickpea seed coats and dormancy level was assessed using wild and cultivated chickpea parental genotypes and a derived population of recombinant inbred lines (RILs). The selected phenolic and flavonoid metabolites were analyzed via the LC-MS/MS method. Significant differences in the concentration of certain phenolic acids were found among cultivated (Cicer arietinum, ICC4958) and wild chickpea (Cicer reticulatum, PI489777) parental genotypes. These differences were observed in the contents of gallic, caffeic, vanillic, syringic, p-coumaric, salicylic, and sinapic acids, as well as salicylic acid-2-O-β-d-glucoside and coniferaldehyde. Additionally, significant differences were observed in the flavonoids myricetin, quercetin, luteolin, naringenin, kaempferol, isoorientin, orientin, and isovitexin. When comparing non-dormant and dormant RILs, significant differences were observed in gallic, 3-hydroxybenzoic, syringic, and sinapic acids, as well as the flavonoids quercitrin, quercetin, naringenin, kaempferol, and morin. Phenolic acids were generally more highly concentrated in the wild parental genotype and dormant RILs. We compared the phenylpropanoid content of chickpea seed coats with related legumes, such as pea, lentil, and faba bean. This information could be useful in chickpea breeding programs to reduce dormancy.

Waste Biomass Originated Biocompatible Fluorescent Graphene Nano-Sheets for Latent Fingerprints Detection in Versatile Surfaces

In recent years, the application of biocompatible and non-toxic nanomaterials for the detection of fingerprints has become the major interest in the forensic sector and crime investigation. In this study, waste chickpea seeds, as a natural resource, were bioprocessed and utilized for the synthesis of non-toxic graphene nano-sheets (GNSs) with high fluorescence. The graphene GNS were synthesized via pyrolysis at high temperatures and were characterized by TEM, XPS, fluorescence and UV-Vis spectroscopy, and FTIR analysis. The GNS exhibited excitation-independent emission at about 620 nm with a quantum yield of over 10% and showed more distinct blue light under a UV lamp. Biocompatibility of the synthesized GNS in terms of cell viability (88.28% and 74.19%) was observed even at high concentrations (50 and 100 mg/mL), respectively. In addition, the antimicrobial properties of the synthesized GNS-based coatings were tested with the pathogenic strain of Bacillus cereus via live/dead cell counts and a plate counting method confirming their biocompatible and antimicrobial nature for their potential use in safe fingerprint detection. The developed chickpea-originated fluorescent GNS-based spray coatings were tested on different surfaces, including plastic, glass, silicon, steel, and soft plastic for the detection of crime scene fingerprints. Results confirmed that GNS can be used for the detection of latent fingerprints on multiple non-porous surfaces and were easy to detect under a UV lamp at 395 nm. These findings reinforce the suggestion that the developed fluorescent GNS spray coating has a high potential to increase sensitive and stable crime traces for forensic latent fingerprint detection on nonporous surface material. Capitalizing on their color-tunable behavior, the developed chickpea-originated fluorescent GNS-based spray coating is ideal for the visual enhancement of latent fingerprints.

Real-Time Deployment of MobileNetV3 Model in Edge Computing Devices Using RGB Color Images for Varietal Classification of Chickpea

Chickpeas are one of the most widely consumed pulses globally because of their high protein content. The morphological features of chickpea seeds, such as colour and texture, are observable and play a major role in classifying different chickpea varieties. This process is often carried out by human experts, and is time-consuming, inaccurate, and expensive. The objective of the study was to design an automated chickpea classifier using an RGB-colour-image-based model for considering the morphological features of chickpea seed. As part of the data acquisition process, five hundred and fifty images were collected per variety for four varieties of chickpea (CDC-Alma, CDC-Consul, CDC-Cory, and CDC-Orion) using an industrial RGB camera and a mobile phone camera. Three CNN-based models such as NasNet-A (mobile), MobileNetV3 (small), and EfficientNetB0 were evaluated using a transfer-learning-based approach. The classification accuracy was 97%, 99%, and 98% for NasNet-A (mobile), MobileNetV3 (small), and EfficientNetB0 models, respectively. The MobileNetV3 model was used for further deployment on an Android mobile and Raspberry Pi 4 devices based on its higher accuracy and light-weight architecture. The classification accuracy for the four chickpea varieties was 100% while the MobileNetV3 model was deployed on both Android mobile and Raspberry Pi 4 platforms.

Investigation of insect population density, species composition and associated losses in chickpea seeds stored on farms in Ethiopia

This survey aimed to investigate the extent of insect infestations, associated losses, and insect species abundance in farm-stored chickpea seeds across five chickpea growing districts in Ethiopia. Despite being the largest producer, consumer, and exporter of chickpea in Africa, insect pest infestations have caused significant losses to Ethiopia's chickpea industry. Results showed that Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) was the most prevalent insect species, followed by Sitophilus oryzae (L.) and Tribolium confusum (J. du Val). The insect pests infested both local and improved chickpea varieties, and traditional containers and polypropylene bags were used for storage. The percentage of insect-damaged seed ranged from 4.61% to 14.48%, while the seed weight loss ranging from 1.13% to 4.55%. The range of seed germination percentages was from 65% to 88%, with a mean rate of 71%. These losses significantly affect the market value of the crop as grain and its use as seed, affecting farmers' income and food security. Therefore, it is crucial to develop effective solutions to prevent the loss of farm-stored chickpea in Ethiopia.

Efficacy of ethanolic and aqueous extract of some plants on some biological aspects of cowpea beetle Callosobruchus maculatus (Fab.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) – A comparative study

The present study included to know about the effectiveness of steep chickpea Cicer arietinum L. seeds with ethanolic and aqueous extracts of the Oleander Nerium oleander, Basil Ocimum basilicum, Chinaberry Melia azedarach, and Natgrass Cyperus rotundus leaves with four concentration (0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0) % on some biological sides of the cowpea beetle Callosobruchus maculatus (Fab.). The present study showed the superiority of leaves extracts of Oleander and Chinaberry as compared with leaves extracts of Basil and Natgrass, as well as the superiority of aqueous extracts as compared with ethanolic extracts of the present study plant's leaves on some biological sides of the cowpea beetle C. maculatus (Fab.). Also, the present study showed that the least number of laid eggs was recorded at a concentration of 1.0% of the ethanolic extract of the chinaberry with several 31.5 eggs, the least percentage of hatched eggs was recorded in the aqueous extract of chinaberry at a concentration of 5.0% with a percentage of 64.8%, the highest larval stage period was recorded at a concentration of 5.0% of the ethanolic extract of the chinaberry with a period of 19.8 days. Total mortality (100%) in the larval stage was achieved with a concentration of 5.0% of the aqueous extracts of the Oleander and Chinaberry. The highest pupal stage period was recorded at 5.0% of the ethanolic extract of the chinaberry at 14.8 days. The highest mortality in the pupal stage was recorded at a concentration of 2.5 % of the aqueous extract of the chinaberry with a percentage of 23.0%. The least number of emerged adults in the first generation and least percentage of productivity were recorded at a concentration of 5.0 % of the aqueous extracts of the Oleander and Chinaberry, with several 0.0 adults and a percentage of 0.0%, respectively.The study also showed that the germination percentage of Chickpea seeds was not significantly affected when it was treated with different concentrations of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of the present study plants' leaves.

Kinetic approach to assess germination and growth parameters in 'Azkan' chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds during postharvest storage

This research aimed to investigate the impact of varying storage temperature (5-, 10-, 15- and 20 °C) and storage duration (0-, 60-, 120-, 180-, 240-, 300-, 360-, 420-, 480- and 540-days) on moisture contents, germination parameters (germination rate, mean germination time, germination speed, seed vigor index, germination energy and electrical conductivity) and growth parameters (shoot length, root length, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root fresh weight and root dry weight) of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds. In addition, it is aimed to determine the optimum storage temperature by applying kinetic model and multivariate analysis to these parameters. During germination, the tested parameters presented differential sensitivity to both storage temperature and duration. Seeds at a temperature of 20 °C were more affected than at 5, 10 and 15 °C. The storage at 20 °C reduced germination and growth parameters. It also caused an increase in electrical conductivity values, which decreased the viability of the seed and in the germination rate. The zero-order kinetic model was determined as the most suitable model for germination and growth parameters, and half-life and activation energy were determined accordingly. Based on the results obtained from the zero-order kinetic model, it can be suggested that the optimal storage temperature for maintaining seed quality is 5 and 10 °C.

Effect of Botanicals Against <i>Callosobruchus chinensis</i> In Stored Chickpea

This Experiment evaluated the effect of botanicals against Callosobruchus chinensisin stored chickpea with seven botanicals viz., pepper @ 3g/ kg, turmeric powder @10g/ kg, clove powder @ 3g/ kg, groundnut oil @ 5 ml/ kg, castor oil @ 5 ml/ kg, soybean oil @ 5ml/ kg and untreated control. All treatments were significantly superior over untreated control in minimizing oviposition and adult emergence. Results reported that castor oil @ 5 ml/ kg (14.67), pepper powder @ 3g/ kg (29.33) and clove powder @ 3g/ kg (30.37) was most effective in minimizing the fecundity of pulse beetle up to 6 months stored period. Chickpea seeds treated with castor oil @ 5 ml/ kg (5.67), pepper powder @ 3g/ kg (9.33), clove powder @ 3g/ kg (12.00) was observed the best in checking adult emergence, followed by groundnut oil @ 5 ml/ kg (19.33), turmeric powder @ 10g/ kg (40.00) and soybean oil @ 10 ml/ kg (32.00) was found most effective.

Decoding the physiological response of plants to stress using deep learning for forecasting crop loss due to abiotic, biotic, and climatic variables

This paper presents a simple method for detecting both biotic and abiotic stress in plants. Stress levels are measured based on the increase in nutrient uptake by plants as a mechanism of self-defense when under stress. A continuous electrical resistance measurement was used to estimate the rate of change of nutrients in agarose as the growth medium for Cicer arietinum (Chickpea) seeds. To determine the concentration of charge carriers in the growth medium, Drude’s model was used. For identifying anomalies and forecasting plant stress, two experiments were conducted and outliers were found in electrical resistance and relative changes in carrier concentration. Anomaly in the first iteration was detected by applying k-Nearest Neighbour, One Class Support Vector Machine and Local Outlier Factor in unsupervised mode on electrical resistance data. In the second iteration, the neural network-based Long Short Term Memory method was used on the relative change in the carrier concentration data. As a result of the change in resistance of growth media during stress, nutrient concentrations shifted by 35%, as previously reported. Farmers who cater to small communities around them and are most affected by local and global stress factors can use this method of forecasting.

Seed pretreatment with melatonin confers cadmium tolerance to chickpea seedlings through cellular redox homeostasis and antioxidant gene expression improvement.

Several phytoremediation strategies have been undertaken to alleviate cadmium (Cd)-mediated injury to crop yield resulting from agricultural land pollution. In the present study, the potentially beneficial effect of melatonin (Me) was appraised. Therefore, chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds were imbibed for 12 H in distilled water or Me (10µM) solution. Then, the seeds germinated in the presence or the absence of 200µM CdCl2 for 6days. Seedlings obtained from Me-pretreated seeds exhibited enhanced growth traits, reflected by fresh biomass and length increase. This beneficial effect was associated with a decreased Cd accumulation in seedling tissues (by 46 and 89% in roots and shoots, respectively). Besides, Me efficiently protected the cell membrane integrity of Cd-subjected seedlings. This protective effect was manifested by the decreased lipoxygenase activity and the subsequently reduced accumulation of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal. Melatonin counteracted the Cd-mediated stimulation of the pro-oxidant NADPH-oxidase (90 and 45% decrease compared to non-pretreated Cd-stressed roots and shoots, respectively) and NADH-oxidase activities (almost 40% decrease compared to non-pretreated roots and shoots), preventing, thus, hydrogen peroxide overaccumulation (50 and 35% lesser than non-pretreated roots and shoots, respectively). Furthermore, Me enhanced the cellular content of pyridine nicotinamide reduced forms [NAD(P)H] and their redox state. This effect was associated with the Me-mediated stimulation of the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and malate dehydrogenase activities, concomitantly with the inhibition of NAD(P)H-consuming activities. These effects were accompanied by the up-regulation of G6PDH gene expression (45% increase in roots) and the down-regulation of the respiratory burst oxidase homolog protein F (RBOHF) gene expression (53% decrease in roots and shoots). Likewise, Me induced an increased activity and gene transcription of the Asada-Halliwell cycle, namely ascorbate peroxidase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, dehydroascorbate reductase, and glutathione reductase, concomitantly with a reduction of the glutathione peroxidase activity. This modulating effect led to the restoration of the redox homeostasis of the ascorbate and the glutathione pools. Overall, current results attest that seed pretreatment with Me is effective in Cd stress relief and can be a beneficial crop-protective approach.

Genome-wide identification and expression pattern analysis of lipoxygenase genes of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in response to accelerated aging

Seed aging is a major problem which is caused by various factors such as unfavorable physiological, biochemical, and metabolic alterations in seed. Lipoxygenase (LOXs), an oxidoreductase enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, acts as a negative regulator in seed viability and vigour during storage. In this study, we identified ten putative LOX gene family members in the chickpea genome, designated as “CaLOX” which are mainly located in the cytoplasm and chloroplast. These genes share different physiochemical properties and similarities in their gene structures and conserved functional regions. The promoter region contained the cis-regulatory elements and transcription binding factors, which were mainly linked to biotic and abiotic stress, hormones, and light responsiveness. In this study, chickpea seeds were treated with accelerated aging treatment for 0, 2, and 4 days at 45 °C and 85 % relative humidity. Increased level of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, electrolyte leakage, proline, lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, and decreased catalase activity indicates cellular dysfunction which demonstrates seed deterioration. Quantitative real-time analysis reveals that 6 CaLOX genes were upregulated, and 4 CaLOX genes were downregulated during the seed aging process in chickpea. This comprehensive study will reveal the role of the CaLOX gene in response to aging treatment. The identified gene may be used to develop better-quality seeds in chickpea.

Efficacy of diatomaceous earth, and entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana, and Trichoderma asperellum in combination and separately, against Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

BackgroundCallosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is one of the most significant pests infesting leguminous crops since it is found in tropical and subtropical climates, as well as in Turkey. The most often utilized methods of managing these insects are fumigants and synthetic insecticides. However, chemical pesticides lead to increased risks for human health, chemical residues, insect resistance, and environmental contamination. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of entomopathogenic fungi [Beauveria bassiana (Bb) and Trichoderma asperellum (Ta)] individually or in combination with diatomaceous earth (DE) against C. maculatus. The fungi Bb and Ta were applied at 1 × 104, 1 × 106 and 1 × 108 spores/kg of chickpea seeds and mixed with 200, 400, 800 mg/kg of DE. Additionally, the progeny production of the insect on chickpea in the different treatments was evaluated after 40 days of exposure.ResultsIn all individual treatments, total adult mortality of the insect was accomplished solely by using the highest DE treatment rate (800 mg/kg) after 7 days. The most effective combination that was a mixture at highest application rate of DE/Bb (800 mg/kg of DE + 1 × 108 spores/kg of Bb) caused 100% mortality after 6 days of exposure and had the lowest LT50 (2.97) and LT90 (5.46) values (days). Although other DE/Bb binary combinations caused 100% mortality of C. maculatus 6 days after treatment, their LT50 and LT90 values were lower. Insect mortalities were 100% in all DE/Ta binary combinations on days 7 and 8, and the highest application rate (800 mg/kg of DE + 1 × 108 spores/kg of Ta) of this combination had the lowest LT50 (4.14) and LT90 (6.17) values (days). Individual treatments of DE, Bb, Ta and their binary combinations caused significant reduction in progeny production after 40 days of treatment compared with progeny production in the control of C. maculatus. The highest progeny production (88.9%) was observed at the highest treatment rate of DE/Bb combinations (800 mg/kg of DE + 1 × 108 spores/kg of BB).ConclusionsThe treatments used in combination of Bb or Ta with DE resulted in increased insecticidal effectiveness against C. maculatus. These natural agents caused considerable decreasing of progeny production of the pest. Even with reduced application rates, the agents with a promising potential against the pest showed acceptable results in binary combinations.

Long-term storage affects on the phenolic, mineral, color and cooking traits of chickpea seed

This study was carried out to investigate the changes in some phenolic, mineral, color and cooking traits of chickpea seeds stored at different temperatures (5, 10, 15 and 20 °C) and duration (0–540 days). Significant variations in the investigated traits were found statistically before and after storage. The investigation revealed that gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin, protein, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, manganese, and copper concentrations reduced at the end of the storage. Significant fluctuations in seed moisture content were observed depending on storage temperature and duration. Storage duration affected all color parameters except L* value, but storage interaction only influenced the a* value. According to correlation analysis, cooking time significantly correlated with hydration capacity and hydration index increased at the end of the storage. The eigenvalues of the first three principal components explained 80% and 75.1% of cumulative variances of mineral composition and cooking traits, respectively. In the biplot analysis, the Ca, Zn, Cu and Mg vectors revealed a high positive correlation with each other. The results of this study clearly revealed that 5 or 10 °C low storage temperature and 300-day storage period were the most suitable to maintain the quality of chickpea seeds. These findings could assist in providing information for the seed industry in maintaining nutritional composition for indication of storability and quality of chickpea seed, which in turn benefit the postharvest decisions for storage, distribution, and marketing.

Physico-Biochemical Property Evaluation of Certain Promising Varieties of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), often known as gramme or Bengal gramme, is a self-pollinated leguminous crop with diploid annual (2n = 16 chromosomes) that belongs to the family Leguminosae and subfamily Papilionaceae. During the Rabi season, it is the most significant crop in India. Chickpeas are a high-energy, high protein, and low carbohydrate food. Gram is a grain that is utilised for both human consumption and animal feed. It comes in flour, whole grain, roasted, and cocked varieties. The most common forms consumed by people are salted Dahl or sweet concoctions, as well as green foliage and grain as vegetables. In the Rabi season, 60% of pulses are grown, and 40% in the Kharif season. Chickpeas are high in calories, protein, minerals, vitamins, and fibre that may be useful to one's health. For biochemical characteristics on selected potential genotypes/varieties of chickpea [Cicer arietinum (L)], seeds of chickpea genotypes/varieties were obtained from legume Breeder, Department of Genetics and Plant breeding, CSAUAT, Kanpur. The experiment was planned in the Department's Research Laboratory in order to achieve the goals of their research. Dhal percent, husk percentages, broken dal, percentage loss in processing, protein, test weight, grain yield quintal/ha, were 71.40-82.92g, 7.50-17.74 percent, 2.00-5.60 percent, 20.85-23.95 percent, 21.45-27.70g, 21-30q/ha, respectively. In genotypes K3256, Avrodhi, KGD1296, KGD2021, K3256, K3256 of the varietal trail, lower husk percentage, broken percentage, and processing loss were identified, as well as greater nutritional elements such as protein content also identified.

Evaluation of Amino Acids and Yield Components on Certain Promising Varieties of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), often known as Bengal gram or Bengal gram, is a self-pollinated leguminous crop with diploid annual (2n = 16 chromosomes) that belongs to the family Leguminosae and sub family Papilinoceae. A lab experiment was conducted on Chickpea for biochemical and Physical characteristics on selected potential genotypes/varieties of chickpea [Cicer arietinum L.] in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 3 replication in pot in year of 2019-20. Seeds of chickpea genotypes/varieties were obtained from pulse Breeder, Department of Genetics and Plant breeding, CSAUAT, Kanpur. In the laboratory of CSA University's Department of Agricultural Biochemistry, Biochemical characteristics: ie. Methionine content, Tryptophan content and Physical characteristics: ie. No. of pod per plant, Yield (g/plant), Grain Yield (q/ha), Maturity period (days) were receded. Overall KGD-2021 Variety was better in terms of Biochemical as well as Physical characteristics of Chickpea followed by KGD-2012.

Elucidation of temperature dependent hydration behaviour of chickpea seeds: Prerequisite for germination

Soaking to a desirable extent of moisture is an unavoidable prerequisite in the utilization of chickpea seeds. Partially hydration of chickpea before germination, roasting or puffing of chickpea is a common practice for its propagation and preparation of ready-to-eat confectionary products. Almost completely soaked chickpeas are preferred in making soaked chickpea, sprouts, baked chickpea, and various cooked delicacies. The present research was carried out to study the hydration characteristics of chickpea seeds. Water absorption characteristics in terms of weight gain were investigated, and the process was segregated into three different phases comprising of rapid water absorption phase (Phase I), slow water absorption phase (Phase II) and termination phase (Phase III). Three empirical models, namely the Newton model, Henderson and Pabis model, and Weibull model, were used to assess their adequacy to describe temperature (10–60 °C) dependent water absorption phenomenon. Weibull model was found to describe the water uptake phenomenon better than the Newton and Henderson and Pabis models. The Arrhenius plot for Fick's law of diffusion was used to calculate the activation energy. It was observed that breakpoint occurs at 41.67 °C, correlated with the thermal glass transition of seed coat during soaking. Germination potential of chickpea seeds at different soaking temperatures was also investigated. Effect of soaking and germination of chickpea seeds on thermal properties and x-ray diffraction pattern were also studied.

Symbiotic Efficiency and Cytokinin Activity of New Mesorhizobium cicerі Strains

The efficiency of the introduction of nodule bacteria, microsymbionts of legumes in agrocenoses, largely depends on the activity of biologically active substances’ biosynthesis by diazotrophs. Seed bacterization with effective rhizobia strains capable of synthesizing exometabolites for phytostimulating activity not only promotes the formation and functioning of symbiosis but also creates the conditions for increasing plant resistance to adverse environmental conditions. The aim of the work was to research the symbiotic activity, efficiency and ability of chickpea rhizobia new strains to biosynthesize phytohormonal exometabolites of cytokinin nature. Methods. Microbiological, physiological, cytological, biochemical, and physicochemical. Results. New strains of Mesorhizobium ciceri ND-101 and Mesorhizobium ciceri ND-64 were shown to have different symbiotic activity. The efficiency of inoculation of Skarb chickpea seeds with bacterial suspension of Mesorhizobiu mciceri ND-101 was at the same level with the industrial strain of Mesorhizobium ciceri H-12. Bacterization of Mesorhizobium ciceri ND-64 increased the chickpea roots nodules by 69%, their weight by 74%, and nitrogenase activity by 73% relative to the positive control (inoculation with Mesorhizobium ciceri H-12), as well as increased chickpeas yield by 22%. It was established that Mesorhizobium ciceri ND-64 strain exhibits the highest cytokinin activity in the bioassay. Cytokinins in the total amount of 174.94 μg/g of completely dry biomass were detected in the culture medium of Mesorhizobium ciceri ND-64, which is 53% higher than that of Mesorhizobium ciceri ND-101 strain and 99% higher than that of Mesorhizobium ciceri H-12 strain. Conclusions. Mesorhizobium ciceri ND-64 strain with high nitrogen-fixing activity and symbiotic efficiency is capable to synthesize a relatively high amount of extracellular cytokinins. The high concentration of cytokinins indicates their important role in the formation and functioning of nodules, as they stimulate the proliferation of root tissues and, in this way, have a positive effect on the chickpea productivity.