Morphology and genetics of a new found determinate genotype in chickpea

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an indeterminate plant and produce excessive vegetative growth that acts as a competitive sink for developing pods resulting in reduced fruit set whenever soil moisture and temperature conditions are favorable. Determinate genotype was so far not available in the world chickpea germplasm. Determinate chickpea is needed to change its plant architecture in order to achieve a breakthrough in its productivity and stabilize yields in cool and long-season sub-tropical environments of semi-arid tropics. A true breeding determinate chickpea genotype was developed for the first time in the breeding programme. The objectives were to study: (i) the new found determinate genotype BGD 9971 for important plant characteristics and (ii) the genetics of determinate growth habit in it. Determinate genotype was bushy, compact and dwarf in its morphology; the stem growth terminated by a flower and produced 1-4 seeds per pod. The segregation patterns in the F-2 and F-3 of the two crosses (BGD 72 x BGD 9971 and BGD 128 x BGD 9971) involving indeterminate and determinate parents have shown that the determinate growth habit in BGD 9971 was governed by two recessive genes. The genes for determinacy in BGD 9971 were designated as dt1 and dt2. The homozygous recessive for both alleles (dt1dt1dt2dt2) produced a determinate phenotype. The utilization of genes identified for determinacy in the newly developed BGD 9971 has the major impact on chickpea breeding for better adaptation to cool climate, high fertility and irrigated environments.