Genetic Variation for Grain Protein, Fe and Zn Content Traits in Chickpea Reference Set

Chickpea is a cheap source of protein and micronutrients to the poor people living in arid and semi-arid regions of Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Chickpea varieties with improved nutrient content contribute towards reducing malnutrition resulting from protein and micronutrient deficiency. The current study evaluated a diverse chickpea reference set of 280 accessions for grain protein, Fe and Zn contents traits to understand the genetic nature of these traits in relation to grain yield and other yield contributing traits for two years under normal crop season. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among the accessions for grain nutrients and agronomic traits. Large variability for grain protein (16.3-26.2%), Fe (44.1-76.7 mg kg(-1)) and Zn (36.3-56.2 mg kg(-1)) contents were observed. The high heritability estimates (85-98%) were observed for the quality traits, and these traits showed significantly negative correlation with grain yield. In the cluster analysis, cluster II showed higher cluster means for grain Fe and Zn (66.6 and 51.1 mg kg -1). The promising accessions with high protein, Fe and Zn contents identified in the study can be used as potential donors for global breeding programmes to develop nutrient-dense chickpea cultivars.