An international team led by the Hyderabad-based ICRISAT has identified in chickpea four important genes for heat tolerance and three important genes for drought tolerance.
Chickpea:
Chickpea is a cool season crop. In India, chickpea is generally sown in September-October and harvested in January-February.
More than 90% of chickpea cultivation area is in South Asia, including India. Chickpea originated in the Mediterranean/south-west Asia and migrated to south Asia.
Globally, more than 70% yield is lost due to drought and increasing temperatures.
Recent study:
The study was based on complete genome sequencing of 429 chickpea lines from 45 countries.
In the study, scientists identified in chickpea four important genes for heat tolerance and three important genes for drought tolerance.
Application:
Identification of these climate-resistant genes will help in developing newer chickpea varieties which can tolerate temperatures up to 38°C.
The identification of other genes with important agromic traits will help in increasing the yield and providing better resistance to pests and diseases.
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