Effect of seasonal variation on micronutrient content in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) and identification of accessions having high iron and zinc

Abstract

Iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) are two important mineral micronutrients, whose deficiency is prevalent globally. Chickpea being a good source of protein is an important grain legume and is one of the most consumed pulse crop worldwide. It is grown in over 50 countries, with India being its largest producer and consumer. With an aim to assess genetic variation for iron and zinc content as well as to study the environmental effect on the content of these two minerals in the chickpea seeds in this work, 83 accessions including 52 germplasm lines with origins from 21 chickpeacultivating regions of the world and 31 cultivars developed and adapted for different agro climatic zones in India were analysed for iron and zinc content. The accessions were grown in two cultivation seasons (rabi 2012-2013 and rabi 2013-2014).Overall, wide ranges for both Fe (2.55-9.63 mg/ 100g) and Zn (2.58-8.15 mg/100g) content were observed. Desi biotypes were found to have higher zinc content than kabuli types in both the years. Despite the environmental influence on iron and zinc content, genotypes and cultivars having consistently high Fe and/or Zn in both the growing seasons were identified. Genetic parameters including high heritability of the trait in the present study suggest that the cultivars JGG1, RSG 888 and RSG 44 having high Fe and Zn in both the seasons can directly be used in breeding programs for genetic biofortification-one of the most sustainable and cost-effective solutions that may provide nutritious and affordable food.