Chickpea to Get Nutrition Boost from Hardy and Weedy Wild Relatives

A study conducted by researchers from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Hyderabad, India has looked into the possibility of boosting the nutrient content of the popular legume chickpea by crossing it with its hardy and weedy wild relatives.

The researchers from ICRISAT and the Crop Trust's Crop Wild Relatives Project (CWR Project) studied the seed protein and mineral concentrations in wild chickpeas that belong to the genus Cicer. The ICRISAT team examined eight wild Cicer species from seven countries and compared their nutrient content to that of cultivated chickpea. They found enormous genetic variability among wild relatives and identified several plants that could be useful in chickpea breeding programs.