This document summarizes a presentation on research initiatives for chickpeas. It discusses 3 projects under the Chickpea Research Initiative focusing on improving chickpea productivity in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Target countries for the research initiative include India, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania. The document also provides updates on breeding activities in each of these countries, including evaluation of advanced lines and pre-breeding populations. It outlines plans to continue this work beyond 2014 through ongoing breeding programs and future funding opportunities.

1. Research Initiative Perspectives
Chickpea
Pooran Gaur
GCP-GRM 29 Sep 2013, Lisbon, Portugal

2. Target countries for chickpea RI
India
Ethiopia
Kenya
Tanzania

3. Projects under Chickpea RI
• G6010.04: TL-I, Phase 2, Objective 4: Improve chickpea productivity
for marginal environments in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia (2010-14)
• TL-I complementary project in India - funded by The Department of
Biotechnology, Govt. of India (2011-14)
• G4011.08: Harnessing the potential of MAGIC populations for gene
discovery and breeding applications in chickpeas (2011-2014)
Indian Agricultural Indian Institute Ethiopean Institute Egerton University
Research Institute Pulses Research of Agril. Research (EU), Kenya
(IARI) (IIPR) (EIAR)

4. Larry’s guidelines for this presentation
1. Indicate how many projects were discussed
2. Indicate how many of these will not be completed by the
end of 2014
3. What activities and products will not be completed
4. In general terms what is the plan to finish the activity and
the product(s)
5. Even if finished, indicate specific activities (if any) you feel
should be continued, if funding could be found.
6. Potential sources of new funding, very general strategy for
obtaining this.
7. Results of your product catalogue review

5. Ethiopia
• Evaluation of 309 F4 progenies of ICCV 4958 x
Ejere
• Selection of promising plants from F3
populations of 4 crosses
Kenya
• Evaluation of 71 F5 progenies from 9 crosses
and 341 progenies from 12 crosses (ICRISAT-
Nairobi)
• Advancement of 88 F4 progenies from 3 crosses
and 39 F3 progenies from 2 crosses (EU-Njoro)
India
• Evaluation of 3 advanced breeding lines in a
station trial along with other breeding lines
• Evaluation of 120 F5/F6 progenies from 9
crosses
Development and evaluation of pre-breeding populations
Activities in progress……

6. Evaluation of MABC lines
Replicated yield trials on MABC lines during 2013/14 Locations
Trial 1: 22 BC3F5 lines from Set-2 of (ICCV 93954 x ICC
4958) x 3*ICCV 93954
Ethiopia (1), Tanzania
(1) Kenya (2)
Trial 2: 10 BC3F5 lines – 8 from ICCV 92318 x ICC 8261) x
3*ICCV 92318 and 2 from (ICCV 92311 x ICC 8261) x
3*ICCV 92311
Ethiopia (1), Tanzania
(1) Kenya (2)
Trial 3: 25 BC3F5 lines from (ICCV 10 x ICC 4958) x
3*ICCV 10
Ethiopia (1), Kenya
(2), India (4)
Trial 4: 13 BC3F5 lines selected from Set I of (ICCV
93954 x ICC 4958) x 3*ICCV 93954
Ethiopia (2)
Trial 4: 10 BC3F5 lines selected from Set I of (ICCV
93954 x ICC 4958) x 3*ICCV 93954
Kenya (1)
Trial 5: 20 BC3F5 lines selected from Set I and Set II of
(ICCV 93954 x ICC 4958) x 3*ICCV 93954
India (4)
Trial 6: 16 NILs (BC6F4) from (ICCV 92311 x ICC 8261) x
6*ICCV 92311 and 7 NILs from (ICCV 92318 x ICC 8261)
x 6*ICCV 92318
India (4)

7. MABC in progress
Cross Plan for 2013/14 Location
Ejere × ICC 4958 BC3F3 Seed multiplication EIAR, Ethiopia
ICCV 97105 × ICC 4958 BC4F2 Selection of homozygous
plants & seed multiplication
EU, Kenya
ICCV 95423 × ICC 4958 BC3F3 Seed multiplication EU, Kenya
DCP92-3 × ICC 4958* Generate BC2F1 IIPR, India
KWR108 × ICC 4958* BC2F2 Selection of homozygous
plants
IIPR, India
Pusa 362 × ICC 4958* Generate BC3F1 IARI, India
*Under DBT-supported Indian project

8. MARS
Cross Plan for 2013/14 Location
JG 130 x ICCV 05107 8 lines selected;
Two-way crosses completed; 4-
way & 8-way crosses will be
made
EU-Kenya and ICRISAT-
Patancheru
JG 11 × ICCV 04112* 8 lines selected;
Two-way crosses completed; 4-
way & 8-way crosses will be
made
ICRISAT-Patancheru
Pusa 372 x JG 130* Genotyping of F3 and seed
multiplication
IARI-New Delhi
DCP 92-3 x ICCV 10* Genotyping of F3 and seed
multiplication
IIPR-Kanpur
*Under DBT-supported Indian project

9. MAGIC lines
To be completed by 2014:
• Preliminary evaluation of 1200 MAGIC lines in augmented design
under rainfed and irrigated conditions.
• Genotyping of 1200 MAGIC lines
 Planned by at least 1500 SNP markers (funds available)
 Desired to do whole genome re-sequencing (additional funds
required)
• Selection of MAGIC lines based on genome-wide haplotypes
To be completed after 2014
• Phenotyping of selected MAGIC lines for drought tolerance related
traits in India, Ethiopia and Kenya (Additional funds required)
• Genome-wide association study (GWAS) for drought tolerance related
traits using genome-wide haplotype and phenotyping data

10. Plans to continue the activities and potential
sources of funding
• Ongoing breeding programs of ICRISAT and NARS partners
• Possible next phase of Tropical Legumes Project (TL-III)
• CGIAR Research Program on Grain Legumes
• Any additional generous support from GCP

11. Review of Product Catalogues
(A) Genomic Resources – already in public domain
• A microsatellite kit for the chickpea reference germplasm set
• DArT marker array for chickpea
• A validated chickpea germplasm reference set
• A SNP dataset for chickpea
• SSR markers for chickpea
• A reference genetic map for chickpea
• Drought and salinity responsive ESTs in chickpea
• Markers linked to a genomic region (QTL-hotspot) controlling
several drought tolerance traits in chickpea
• A transcriptome assembly and SNP dataset for chickpea
• Integrated QTL and physical maps of chickpea
• Draft genome sequence of chickpea and re-sequencing data on
90 genotypes

12. Review of Product Catalogues
(B) Germplasm Resources (most of these will be maintained at
ICRISAT, but some by partners)
Already available
• Reference germplasm set*
• RIL mapping population for drought tolerance traits*
• MAGIC lines
• QTL-hotspot introgression lines (several to be added later)
To be available after 2014
• Improved breeding lines developed from pre-breeding
populations
• Improved breeding lines developed using MARS
*added to the product catalogue

13. Chickpea Community of Practice

14. Acknowledgements
• Generation Challenge Program (GCP)
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)

15. ICRISAT is a member of the CGIAR Consortium
Thank you!