Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L)

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an ancient self-pollinated legume crop believed to have originated in south-eastern Turkey and the adjoining part of Syria. The major goals of chickpea breeding are to increase production either by upgrading the genetic potential of cultivars or by eliminating the effect of diseases, insects, drought and cold. Selection techniques for pest resistance and agronomic characters have been developed. The F-2-derived family, bulk-pedigree and two-cycle selection breeding methods are in common use for varietal development. Over 50 cultivars have been developed for winter sowing in the Mediterranean basin and for the rice fallow in South Asia. Cultivars with heavy shoot biomass, long reproductive phase, multiple-stress resistance, or early maturity are required to meet farmers' needs. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.