EVALUATION OF WORLD COLLECTION OF KABULI CHICKPEA FOR RESISTANCE TO IRON-DEFICIENCY CHLOROSIS

Iron-deficiency chlorosis is often seen in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L .) fields in the Mediterranean region and is particularly severe in fi elds where iron-deficiency susceptible cultivars are sown. Therefore, ICARDA's breeding programme field evaluated 6224 kabuli chickpea germp lasm accessions for iron-deficiency chlorosis on a high pH Calcic Rhod oxeralf soil (pH 8.5, 20-25% calcium carbonate) at Tel Hadya, Syria du ring the winter and spring of 1987/88. Two resistant and 17 susceptibl e lines were grown during autumn, winter and spring of 1988/89 to exam ine the effect of sowing time on the appearance of the deficiency. Abo ut 99% of accessions showed no iron-deficiency symptoms. Evaluation of susceptible accessions during autumn, winter, and spring sowing revea led that iron-deficiency chlorosis was more pronounced during winter s owing. There were also significant genotype x season interactions, ind icating differential responses of genotypes to time of sowing. Since t he iron-deficiency chlorosis character is controlled by recessive gene s, a negative selection to discard the susceptible lines from breeding material is recommended as an effective breeding strategy.