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Abstract Weed control in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is challenging due to narrow genetic base of available germplasm and limited herbicide options. In this view, present research was focused on induced mutagenesis in chickpea for development of herbicide (glyphosate) tolerant mutants and subsequent screening under field conditions. Further, objective was to analyze the defence response and biochemical adjustments in selected glyphosate tolerant chickpea mutants. Initially, 376 chickpea mutants (M6 populations developed through EMS and gamma rays) were screened for glyphosate tolerance under filed conditions and scored on a 1 to 5 scale based on plant injury related traits. Among tested mutants, 40 were found highly tolerant (score = 5), 32 as tolerant (score = 4) and 20 as highly sensitive (score = 1) to glyphosate. Chickpea mutants with variable glyphosate tolerance also differed significantly (Tukey test, p

Abstract Genetic architecture of yield and yield contributing characters of five crosses in chickpea were performed by generation mean analysis. Non-significant χ2 values were noted for plant weight at harvest (PWH), number of pods per plant (NPd/P) and number of seeds per plant (NS/P) in cross-2; for number of secondary branches at first flower (NSBFF) and number of secondary branches at maximum flower (NSBMF) in cross-3 and for number of primary branches at maximum flower (NPBMF) in cross-4. Among these, PWH in cross-2; NSBFF and NSBMF in cross-3 and NPBMF in cross-4 were also non-significant regarding C and D scales. Non-significant scale coupled with non-significant χ2 values indicated only additive-dominance relationship for those characters and crosses that would likely be helpful in doing successful breeding plan easily for the development of potential lines in chickpea. Gene effects viz., additive [d], dominance [h], additive × additive [i] and dominance × dominance [l] were significant for different crosses and characters indicating involvement of additive, dominance, additive × additive and dominance × dominance gene interactions in the control of these traits. Most of the studied characters exhibited duplicate type of epistasis therefore, recurrent selection for these traits is suggested. Effective factor (K1) was less than one for all the characters and crosses indicating minimum one group of gene controlled the characters. Both broad (h2 b) and narrow (h2 n) sense heritability in majority cases were found to be high which indicates that selection for high heritability showing traits is likely to be effective. Mid-parent (MP) and better-parent (BP) heterosis found to be non-significant in maximum cases. All the characters and crosses showed non-significant inbreeding depression (ID) indicating a good sign for further genetic work.

Water deficit stress is one of the key determinants causing crop yield losses globally. The present study was conducted to effectively screen Desi chickpea genotypes based on early dehydration tolerance-related traits as a tool for further evaluation in field experiments. Sixty-four genotypes of Desi chickpea were assessed under progressive water deficit stress, resulting in high variability in early growth characteristics and traits. The clustering analysis with UPGMA, separated the genotypes into three major groups, in accordance with biplot analysis grouping. The highest root length density was observed in the MCC438 genotype with an 18.6-fold increase compared to MCC884 which showed the lowest root length density among all analyzed chickpea genotypes. The genotypes MCC32 and MCC539 produced the higher shoot and root dry weight, while MCC884 showed the lowest value (with 12- and 32.5-fold differences, respectively). Ten genotypes showed differences in terms of their overall response to the water deficiency stress, including eight tolerant genotypes (MCC320, MCC418, MCC425, MCC438, MCC539, MCC540, MCC560, MCC576) and two susceptible ones (MCC433 and MCC897), were selected for further investigation of various growth and physio-biochemical traits based on drought response indices. A clear distinction was observed among ten analyzed genotypes for some physio-biochemical traits, indicating their tolerant responses to drought stress. Drought-tolerant candidate genotypes showed higher indices of seedling growth parameters, proline content, RWC, membrane stability, and root-to-shoot ratio in comparison to drought-susceptible candidate genotypes. The genotypes MCC425, MCC438, MCC418, and MCC539 were found more drought tolerant in the seedling stages, whereas genotype MCC433 was more sensitive. These results were consistent with what was obtained in our preliminary study. However, these results should be addressed further in the field conditions.

IntroductionChickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a plant from the legume family, which is usually cultivated under rainfed conditions. This crop is mostly cultivated in late winter or early spring. In these conditions, there is a high probability of heavy rains (short or long term) and there is a possibility of waterlogging in early spring and during the early growing stages of chickpea. In waterlogged conditions, due to the lack or absence of oxygen in the plant roots occur anaerobic conditions and greatly reduced the amount of energy production in the roots. In this case, the root does not have the necessary energy to transport materials from the cell membrane, and plants face ionic stress, reduced hydraulic conductivity, and reduced water absorption. Reduced and disrupted root growth leads to diminished shoot growth, impaired water and nutrient absorption, and ultimately lower grain yield. In general, the extent of damage caused by oxygen deficiency depends on the plant species, variety, growth stage, soil type, and environmental conditions. Therefore, the purpose of this experiment was to investigate the effects of waterlogging on chickpea cultivars (Desi and Kabuli), physiological characteristics, root growth and yield. Materials and MethodsThis experiment was carried out as factorial based on completely randomized design (CRD) in three replications in the research farm via pot of the Campus of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran in 2013-2014. Factors included chickpea cultivars ILC482 and Azad (from Kabuli type) and Kaka and Pirooz (from Desi type) and duration of waterlogging including no waterlogging (control), 4, 8 and 12 days at 30 days after planting (vegetative stage). Physiological traits (relative water content, membrane stability and pigments) as well as total root length, root dry weight, number of nodes, main root length and root volume in a destructive way in the pod setting stage, as well as in the ripening stage, root traits, remobilization, relative water content, membrane stability, pigments, seed protein, biological yield, seed yield, 100-seed weight and plant height were investigated. Planting was done in the first year on March 11, 2013 and in the second year on March 15, 2014. The size of plastic pots was 30 x 30 cm. 30 days after planting were applied treatments. Compound analysis of data was done with SAS software and means comparisons were performed using the least significant difference (LSD) at the 5% level. Results and DiscussionThe results of compound analysis showed that there were significant differences between the two years in seed yield and the number of seeds per plant. In the second year, the seed yield and the number of seeds per plant compared to the first year increased by 16.9% and 12.1%, respectively. In the second year, the ambient temperature was lower. At a lower temperature, the waterlogging damage is more severe to plants. The total dry matter yield of chickpea cultivars in waterlogged conditions was significantly different and Kaka, Pirooz, ILC482 and Azad cultivars were 4.42, 3.19, 2.99 and 2.54 g.plant-1, respectively. The highest damage to seed yield in waterlogging in 12 days was related to Azad variety (71% compared to the control). In waterlogged conditions, the seed yield was in Kaka (1.51 g.plant-1), Pirooz (1.16 g.plant-1), ILC482 (0.95 g.plant-1) and Azad (0.97 g.plant-1). There was a significant difference between Kabuli type and Desi type, however, grain yield in Desi type was 28.3% higher than Kabuli type. In the pod setting stage, the Pirooz cultivar in the control treatment had the highest total root length with 7741 cm (in the first year) and 7432 cm (in the second year), but the lowest was in the second year at the Kaka cultivar and 12 days with 440 cm. In general, with the increase of the duration of flooding in chickpea cultivars, the total root length decreased significantly and between 4 days, 48.4 to 60.4 percent, 8 days to 8.8 to 70.8 percent, and 1.12 days from 81 to 89.4 percent. In all treatments, the control treatment (without waterlogging) had the highest chlorophyll a, and the amount of chlorophyll a decreased in other treatments. However, no reduction was observed in Pirooz in 4, 8 and 12-day treatment. Chlorophyll b had a different response to waterlogging levels and cultivar. Chlorophyll b was the highest in ILC482 in control treatment, while in Azad, Kaka and Pirooz treatments, chlorophyll b increased with increasing duration of waterlogging. Pigment carotenoids in ILC482 and Azad significantly decreased with increasing duration of waterlogging, but it was not significant in Kaka and Pirooz cultivars. Overall, carotenoids were less fluctuating in the desi type. ConclusionsWaterlogging in the vegetative stage even for 4 days with a decreasing effect on total root length, number of nitrogen fixing nodes, plant height, total dry matter, chlorophyll and carotenoids content, membrane stability index, relative leaf water content, biological yield, seed protein, the number of seeds per plant and the weight of 100 seeds and finally caused a decrease in seed yield. Among the components of seed yield, the amount of damage was higher on the number of seeds per plant. In general, the seed yield of ILC482 and Azad (Kabuli type) was lower than that of Kaka and Pirooz (Desi type). In the second year, due to the lower air temperature compared to the first year, the damage to the total root length and total dry matter decreased. This experiment provides valuable results on the response mechanisms of chickpea to waterlogging stress and can help develop strategies to improve its performance in waterlogged environments, which are expected to waterlogging increase due to climate change. However, more research is needed to investigate the response of different chickpea species to short-term and long-term waterlogging conditions.

IntroductionGiven the expected population growth in the coming years and the necessity to provide food for people, legumes, especially chickpeas (Cicer arietinum. L), hold significant importance in terms of economics, nutrition, soil improvement, and crop rotation. Legumes are considered one of the most important sources of protein in most developing countries. Researchers believe that early cultivation of chickpeas leads to better performance due to the longer vegetative growth period and concurrent reproductive phase with appropriate rainfall and desirable moisture. On the other hand, studies show that spring planting of chickpeas leads to a reduction in all growth factors due to the simultaneous sensitive growth stages with water deficit and drought stress. This study was conducted to grouping of candidate chickpea genotypes in response to water deficit based on their yield performance and components at different planting dates. Materials and MethodsThis study was conducted at the research farm station of the Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, in the year 2018-19. In this research, six genotypes and two cultivars were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with four replications as a split-plot design. Seeds were obtained from the seed bank collection of Research Center for Plant Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Planting was done in two dates in 5 March and 13 April with a density of 40 plants per square meter. Also, irrigations were done only at two stages; the first stage was irrigated with the purpose of achieving the emergence and the second irrigation at the time of 50% flowering with 20 mm in both stages. To measure traits such as emergence time, flowering time (50% of plants in flowering stage) and biomass, plant height, number of pods per plant, percentage of fertile pods, and 100-seed weight at the end of the growth stage and harvest time, five plants were randomly selected from each plot, and the desired traits were examined and recorded. At the time of full maturity and drying of the plants, after removing half a square meter margin from each plot, biological and seed yield were measured, and for calculating biological yield, the dry weight of seeds was added to the dry weight of plant residues. Results and DiscussionThe results indicated a significant superiority in all traits for the first planting date (5 March) compared to the second planting date (13 April). Significant differences were observed among the different genotypes in terms of emergence percentage, days to maturity, plant height, days to flowering, biological yield, podding, and seed yield. Genotype MCC352 had the highest number of pods per plant (34 pods), and genotype MCC427 had the highest number of days to flowering. Genotype MCC537 was superior in plant height and biological yield, but genotype MCC696 was superior in days to maturity and seed yield, indicating that these two genotypes had better responses to environmental conditions. Based on cluster analysis of chickpea genotypes in the first planting date, eight genotypes were classified into four clusters. Cluster 1 included genotypes MCC352, MCC537, MCC552, MCC80, and Jam cultivar. Cluster 2 included Samin cultivar. Cluster 3 included genotype MCC427, and cluster 4 included genotype 696MCC. Cluster 1 had the highest coefficients in terms of emergence percentage and days to maturity, and cluster 2 had the highest coefficients of days to maturity and days to flowering. Similarly, in the second planting date, eight chickpea genotypes were classified into three clusters. Cluster 1 included genotypes MCC696, MCC537, MCC552, MCC80, and Jam cultivar. Cluster 2 included genotypes MCC352 and MCC427. Cluster 3 included Samin cultivar. Cluster 1 had the highest coefficients in terms of emergence percentage and days to maturity, and cluster 2 had the highest coefficients of days to maturity and emergence percentage. Furthermore, the Principal Component Analysis of the studied genotype traits showed that in the first planting date (5 March), PC1 (43.4%) and PC2 (25.7%) accounted for a total of 69.1% of the variance, while in the second planting date, PC1 (36.8%) and PC2 (27%) accounted for a total of 63.3% of the variance. Overall, the studied genotypes had better performance and yield components in the first planting date. ConclusionsIn general, it can be concluded that delayed planting and exposure to drought stress during the critical growth stages of the plant at the end of the season resulted in a decrease in chickpea yield and its components. It was observed that planting chickpea on time to avoid late drought stress at flowering and podding stages would lead to a better yield and its components.

به‌منظور بررسی اثر تاریخ کاشت و رژیم‌های آبیاری بر عملکرد و اجزاء عملکرد نخود (Cicer arietinum L.)، آزمایشی به‌صورت کرت خردشده در قالب طرح بلوک‌های کامل تصادفی در سال زراعی 1401-1400 در مزرعه تحقیقاتی دانشکده کشاورزی دانشگاه شاهد انجام شد. عامل اصلی، رژیم‌های آبیاری در سه سطح: 1) رژیم آبیاری تکمیلی (آبیاری در دو زمان کاشت و قبل از گلدهی بر اساس 20 درصد تخلیه آب قابل‌استفاده خاک)، 2) آبیاری کامل یا شاهد (آبیاری بر اساس 20 درصد تخلیه آب قابل‌استفاده خاک)، 3) کم‌آبیاری (آبیاری بر اساس 40 درصد تخلیه آب قابل‌استفاده خاک) و عامل فرعی تاریخ کاشت پاییزه (15 آبان) و بهاره (15 اسفند)، بود. نتایج نشان داد اثر متقابل رژیم آبیاری و تاریخ کاشت بر تعداد شاخه در بوته، تعداد نیام در بوته، ارتفاع بوته، تعداد دانه در بوته، شاخص برداشت، عملکرد بیولوژیک و عملکرد دانه معنی‌دار بود. کشت پاییزه و آبیاری کامل، بیشترین تعداد شاخه در بوته (9.83) عدد، تعداد نیام در بوته (30.5) عدد، ارتفاع بوته (51.08) سانتی‌متر، تعداد دانه در بوته (26.66) عدد، شاخص برداشت (0.48) درصد، عملکرد بیولوژیک (4670) کیلوگرم در هکتار و عملکرد دانه (2384.17) کیلوگرم در هکتار را نشان داد. عملکرد دانه مربوط به کشت پاییزه و رژیم آبیاری تکمیلی تفاوت آماری معنی‌داری با کشت بهاره و رژیم کم‌آبیاری نشان نداد. رژیم کم‌آبیاری نسبت به رژیم آبیاری تکمیلی در کلیه صفات بعد از رژیم آبیاری شاهد بیشترین کارایی را در کشت پاییزه نشان داد. چنین نتیجه‌گیری می‌شود که رژیم کم‌آبیاری به‌عنوان یک رژیم کم‌آبیاری مناسب برای شرایط منطقه مورد آزمایش برای کاشت نخود در پاییز پیشنهاد می‌شود. توصیه می‌شود سایر تاریخ‌های کاشت پاییزه این رقم در شرایط کم‌آبیاری موردمطالعه قرار گیرد.

IntroductionIntercropping, the agricultural practice of cultivating two or more crops in the same space at the same time, is an old and commonly used cropping practice which aims to match efficiently crop demands to the available growth resources. The practice of growing two or more crops simultaneously in the same field is called intercropping and it is a common feature in traditional farming of small landholders. It provides farmers with a variety of returns from land and labour, often increases the efficiency with which scarce resources are used and reduces the failure risk of a single crop that is susceptible to environmental and economic fluctuation. Intercropping of chickpea with linseed reduced the chickpea yield by 60.3%, although linseed occupied only 33% of the total area. The loss of chickpea yield was compensated by the additional yield of linseed, and thus the system productivity of chickpea + linseed intercropping was increased by 43.4% compared with sole chickpea. Of this increase in system productivity, 65.3 and 34.7% were contributed by higher seed yield and higher minimum prices of linseed, respectively as compared to chickpea. The objectives of the present study were to study the competition indices of chickpea and quinoa intercropping such as land equivalent ratio, relative crowding coefficient, aggressivity, chickpea equivalent yield and effects of nitrogen and different intercropping arrangements on yield of sole chickpea, sole quinoa and intercropping yield of two plants. The objectives of the present study was to determine the best appropriate treatment of sole cropped, replacement and additive series of chickpea and quinoa in terms of yield and investigation of competition indices in intercropping replacement and additive chickpea and quinoa. Materials and MethodsIn order to study the effect of planting pattern and nitrogen application on yield and competitive indicators of chickpea and quinoa, a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design (RCBD) was conducted with three replications at Gonbad Kavous University farm during the 2020-2021 growing season. Nitrogen factor was included three levels of non-application and application of 25 and 50 kg N.ha-1 and the treatments of intercropping were included 9 levels of sole cropped of chickpea and quinoa, 67% chickpea + 33% quinoa, 50% chickpea + 50% quinoa, 33% chickpea + 67% quinoa, 100% chickpea + 33% quinoa, 100% chickpea + 50% quinoa, 100% chickpea + 67% quinoa and 100% chickpea + 100% quinoa. For analysis variance of data software of SAS Ver. 9.4 was used and treatment mean differences were separated by the least significant difference (LSD) test at the 0.05 probability level. Results and DiscussionResults showed that the effects of planting pattern and nitrogen consumption on yield were significant at confidence level of 1%. The maximum total yield belonged to the treatment sole cropped of chickpea with 3529 kg.ha-1, which was not significantly different from the 67% chickpea + 33% quinoa treatment. With increase of nitrogen fertilizer consumption, total yield was increased. The lowest chickpea crop equivalent yield related to the treatment sole cropped of chickpea and mixed crop was 33% increase of quinoa to chickpea crop with 3529 and 3551 kg.ha-1, respectively, and the highest was related to sole cropped of quinoa with 8876 kg.ha-1. Land equivalent ratio was higher than one in all the additive mixed cropping treatments and alternative mixed cropping treatments. The maximum proportion of land belonging to the treatment of 100% chickpeas + 67% quinoa was 1.10. The relative coefficient of total density in all treatments was more than one, which indicates the desirability of mixed cultivation of chickpea and quinoa. The examination of the aggressivity index showed that quinoa was dominant in the mixed cropping treatments, increasing and replacing the plant. As a result, the dominance index of quinoa was positive despite the favorable yield of both plants. ConclusionsOf the two plants of chickpea and quinoa, quinoa plant produced more yield than chickpea plant. The maximum total yield belonged to the treatment sole cropped of chickpea with 3529 kg.ha-1, which was not significantly different from the 67% chickpea + 33% quinoa treatment. With increasing of nitrogen fertilizer consumption, yield was increased. According to the results, it seems that it is not possible to increase the density of two plants in mixed cultivation to obtain the maximum yield.

In organic farming, the use of plant growth biostimulants in crop cultivation technologies, including chickpea, has become widespread. The purpose of this study: to investigate the manifestation of productivity elements and the yield of chickpea varieties depending on the treatment with an organic growth stimulator. The study employed the following methods: field – to determine the level of yield, laboratory – to investigate the elements of productivity of chickpea, and statistical – to assess the reliability of experimental studies. By treatment options, the complex application of the product during presowing seed treatment and foliar feeding of plants during the growing season was distinguished. The effect of organic growth stimulant on the increase of productivity elements of chickpea in this variant of the experiment was noted by an average of 10.0%. The greatest effect of the preparation was found in the complex treatment of seeds and plants of common chickpea in terms of seed weight per plant (24.0%). They were identified by the influence of varietal properties on the productivity elements of common chickpea varieties Triumf and Pamiat. The Pamiat variety with the seed treatment + foliar dressing variant was the best in terms of chickpea yield, but the Triumf variety had the greatest effect of the growth stimulator on the yield increase. Close correlations were found between seed weight per plant and thousand-kernel weight, number of beans per plant and number of seeds per plant, and yield with plant productivity and thousand-kernel weight. The findings of the study are recommended to be used to adjust the elements of chickpea cultivation technology to increase productivity in production conditions

Chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) are an important legume crop known for their rich nutrient content, including proteins, carbohydrates, and minerals. Thus, they are enjoyed by people worldwide. In recent years, the production scale of chickpeas has been growing gradually. The planting area of chickpeas represents roughly 35–36% of the total planting area, and the output of the beans is roughly 47–48%. However, the growth and development process of chickpeas is limited by a number of factors, including high temperature, drought, salt stress, and so forth. In particular, high temperatures can reduce the germination rate, photosynthesis, seed setting rate, and filling rate of chickpeas, restricting seed germination, plant growth, and reproductive growth. These changes lead to a decrease in the yield and quality of the crop. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are small proteins that play an important role in plant defense against abiotic stress. Therefore, in the present study, HSP20 gene family members were identified based on the whole-genome data of chickpeas, and their chromosomal positions, evolutionary relationships, promoter cis-acting elements, and tissue-specific expression patterns were predicted. Subsequently, qRT-PCR was used to detect and analyze the expression characteristics of HSP20 genes under different temperature stress conditions. Ultimately, we identified twenty-one HSP20 genes distributed on seven chromosomes, and their gene family members were found to be relatively conserved, belonging to ten subfamilies. We also found that CaHSP20 promoter regions have many cis-acting elements related to growth and development, hormones, and stress responses. In addition, under high-temperature stress, the relative expression of CaHSP20-17, CaHSP20-20, CaHSP20-7, CaHSP20-3, and CaHSP20-12 increased hundreds or even thousands of times as the temperature increased from 25 °C to 42 °C. Among them, excluding CaHSP20-5, the other five genes all contain 1-2 ABA cis-regulatory elements. This finding indicates that CaHSP20s are involved in the growth and development of chickpeas under heat stress, and the mechanisms of their responses to high-temperature stress may be related to hormone regulation. The results of the present study lay the foundation for exploring HSP20 gene family resources and the molecular mechanisms of heat resistance in chickpeas. Our results can also provide a theoretical basis for breeding high-temperature-resistant chickpea varieties and provide valuable information for the sustainable development of the global chickpea industry.

ABSTRACT Ascochyta blight is the most devastating worldwide disease of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). It is caused by Ascochyta rabiei (teleomorph: Didymella rabiei) an airborne pathogenic fungus which is common in rainy climates and warm temperatures. Despite the efforts deployed by genetic improvement to develop highly resistant varieties, a total resistance to Ascochyta blight is lacking in chickpea. From 2015 to 2019 season, a study was carried out to develop highly resistant lines at the experimental station of the National Agronomical Institute of Tunis (INAT). In this genetic program, four crosses were realized: Nour x ILC154986, Nour x ILC154445, Béja1x ILC155064, and Béja1x ILC154449. Nour and Béja1 varieties were respectively tolerant and susceptible to Ascochyta blight and were used as female parents. The genetic study showed a total of six genes controlling the resistance to Ascochyta blight. The disease progress was analyzed under inoculation in the field on seven dates, and the plant infection rate r was recorded on the parental cultivars and the lines developed from crosses. The temporal progress of the disease was studied by using statistical and mathematical tools. A logistic model was tested and then applied to describe the Ascochyta rabiei progress over time in the field. The fitting adequacy of the logistic model was estimated by the determination coefficient R2 which value exceeded 0.98 and justified this selection. The logistic curves analysis showed a slow blighting and an infection progress decrease of lines issued from Béja1 x desi1 and Nour x Kabuli1 crosses. These lines obtained by transgressive segregation in the Nour x Kabuli1 and Beja1 x Desi2 populations can develop a stable resistance and prevent its overcoming.

Abstract Biofertilizers can be better alternatives to chemical fertilizers to enhance plant nutrition and productivity as they improve the soil fertility and crop productivity in an eco‐friendly and cost‐effective manner. A pot experiment was conducted between December 2018 and March 2019 in southern Ethiopia to evaluate the combined inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and Meso‐rhizobium (MR) on biomass yield, nutrient uptake, and moisture stress tolerance of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) (variety: Habru). The experiment was executed as a factorial arrangement using a completely randomized design with three replications. The treatments were control (non‐fertilized), sole AM fungi inoculation, AM fungi inoculation with phosphorus fertilizer (20 kg P ha−1) and MR, and sole inorganic fertilizers (20 kg P;10 kg N ha−1) at four different moisture levels (optimum throughout the growing season, stressed at vegetative, flowering, and seed filling stages). The results demonstrated that biomass yields were limited by moisture stress, especially at vegetative and flowering stages of chickpea. Sole and co‐application of AMF with MR and inorganic P increased biomass yields on average by 19%, 39%, and 33% under water stress conditions, respectively, compared to the non‐inoculated control. The application of AMF with MR and inorganic P also significantly increased nodulation, AMF colonization, and nutrient uptake, but these effects were dependent on soil moisture status. In conclusion, there are potential advantages to be gained from sole and combined AMF application with rhizobium to improve growth and productivity of chickpea through enhanced nutrient and water uptake, though the results of this pot experiment should be validated through field trials.

Enhancing plants’ resistance against FW is crucial for ensuring a sustainable global chickpea production. The present study focuses on the identification of fungal pathogens and the assessment of ninety-six chickpea samples for Fusarium wilt from the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)’s collection. Eight fungal isolates were recovered from the symptomatic chickpeas. Polyphasic identification was conducted by comparing the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), the elongation factor 1-α (tef1-α), and beta-tubulin (tub2). Among them, Neocosmospora solani, N. nelsonii, N. falciformis, N. brevis, Fusarium brachygibbosum, and F. gossypinum were identified. An analysis of the genetic diversity of chickpeas, using 69 polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, revealed a total of 191 alleles across all markers, with, on average, each SSR marker detecting approximately 2.8 alleles. A STRUCTURE analysis delineated lines into two distinct sub-groups (K = 2). Association mapping, using the generalized linear model (GLM) and mixed linear model (MLM) approaches, identified six and five marker–trait associations (MTAs) for FW resistance, respectively. Notably, these TA42, TA125 (A) and TA125 (B), TA37, and TAASH MTAs, commonly found in both models, emerge as potential candidates for the targeted enhancement of FW resistance in chickpeas. To our knowledge, this study represents an inaugural report on the association mapping of genomic loci governing FW resistance in chickpeas from the ICARDA’s accessions.