Variation in seed protein content in the annual wild Cicer species

Abstract

In a search for higher seed protein content than in cultivated chickpea (Cicer arietinum L), the authors evaluated a collection of 228 accessions from the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), representing the eight annual wild species of the genus Cicer, along with 20 cultivated chickpea check lines. Variation in seed protein content ranged from 168 g kg(-1) in C cuneatum Hochst ex Rich to 268 g kg(-1) in C pinnatifidum Jaub & Spach, with an average seed protein content of 207 g kg(-1) over the eight wild species. C yamashitae Kitamura had the highest mean (217 g kg(-1)), while C echinospermum PW Davis had the lowest (192 g kg(-1)). The mean protein content of the cultivated checks was 188 g kg(-1). Significant variation was present in C judaicum Boiss, C pinnatifidum and C reticulatum Ladiz. C pinnatifidum had the highest number of accessions with high protein content. Overall, protein content showed negative association with harvest index, but little association with leaf area, days to maturity and canopy width. Although the variation for seed protein content of the collection showed accessions with higher protein content than with the cultivated checks, it falls within the range reported for cultivated chickpea. It is expected that agronomically superior selections from interspecific hybrids involving C arietinum and its annual relatives should not be inferior to the cultigen in protein content. Moreover, as usually occurs in distant hybridisation, unexpected epistatic effects could produce positive transgressive segregants, as has already been reported in Cicer. (C) 1998 Society of Chemical Industry.