Australian Chickpea Pan-genome to Boost National Chickpea Production

Researchers from the Centre for Crop and Food Innovation (CCFI) at Murdoch University have generated a pan-genome tailored specifically to Australian chickpea varieties, paving the way for improved chickpea production across the country.

The generated pan-genome resource consisted of high-quality assemblies of the 15 most popular chickpea varieties grown by Australian farmers. It revealed previously uncharacterized genetic diversity essential in understanding and improving desirable agronomic traits that will ensure the success of Australia's chickpea production, including yield, flowering time, acid soil tolerance, and drought tolerance.

The pangenome analysis was published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal and conducted in collaboration with Chickpea Breeding Australia, Agriculture Victoria Research, the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, the University of Western Australia Institute of Agriculture, and BGI Research. It identified 34,345 gene families, including 13,986 dispensable families enriched for genes associated with key agronomic traits.

The researchers also discovered that Australian chickpea varieties could be further improved through the introduction of the “QTL hotspot” region for drought tolerance. The QTL hotspot has already demonstrated a 15-22% yield advantage after its introgression in elite cultivars in India, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania.

For more details, read the news article in Murdoch University News.