Genetic control of seed weight and calcium concentration in chickpea seed

Chickpea. Cicer arietinum L., is a staple protein source in many Asian and Middle Eastern countries. Hence, the mineral content of its seed, especiall y that of calcium, is of nutritional importance. Calcium is transported thr ough plants and to legume pods almost exclusively via the xylem stream, wit h Ca accretion in developing seeds resulting primarily from diffusion of Ca from the adjoining pod wall. Thus, for seeds of differing surface-to-mass ratios, Ca concentration is expected to correlate inversely with seed weigh t. The relationship between seed weight and Ca concentration in chickpea se eds was studied using a range of germplasm and derivatives from crosses bet ween types differing in seed Ca concentration. Among the cultivars tested, low seed mass was associated with high Ca concentration. However, the study of hybrid progeny indicated that seed Ca content was mainly determined by genetic factors other than grain weight genes. This finding may assist in f uture breeding of high nutritional quality chickpea cultivars.