Biotech Updates

Wild Species Provide Insights into Improving Chickpeas

May 29, 2024

A collaborative study conducted by scientists from the International Crops Research for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), The University of Western Australia (UWA), and Murdoch University finds that wild species of chickpea have greater genetic diversity and variations. The study reveals the potential of using wild relatives to improve chickpeas.

To broaden chickpea diversity, the research team identified 24,827 gene families and successfully produced a ‘super-pangenome' based on the de novo genome assemblies of eight annual Cicer wild species. The study also produced a graph-based super-pangenome that can help identify and transfer valuable genes from wild species to cultivated ones.

Director of Murdoch University's Centre for Crop and Food Innovation Professor Rajeev Varshney who coordinated the study as part of his long-term collaboration with UWA, said the researchers then enriched the dispensable genome for genes related to key agronomic traits. He added that the Cicer super-pangenome offers a powerful way to study chickpea genes to perform association analyses and determine important traits.

For more details, read the news articles on the Murdoch University and The University of Western Australia websites.


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