Icrisat develops commercially viable hybrid chickpea

The world's first commercially viable gram (chickpea) hybrid produced by crossing a cultivated variety with a wild species has been produced at the Hyderabad-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat).

The scientists have used the embryo rescue and tissue culture technology for achieving this breakthrough. Cross-breeding of cultivated gram (Cicer arietinum) with its wild relative species had so far proved elusive as gram is a self-pollinated crop and is genetically not amenable to crossing with related species.

The wild species used in this technological breakthrough is Cicer bijugum which, though not suited for commercial cultivation, has several desirable characterstics that need to be introduced in the cultivated varieties for their better performance.

Its plants are resistance to diseases like blight and grey mold and some menacing pests such as pod borer Helicoverpa. Some of these traits are expected to be passed on to new the hybrids having this species as one of the parents.

According to Icrisat director-general William Dar, the breakthrough can result in the cultivation of improved chickpea, which is a crop that benefits the poor and marginal farmers of India and other countries in the semi-arid tropics. Chickpea, the world's third most important food legume, has a narrow genetic base.

One of the best and proven means to broaden the genetic base of any crop and also to introduce newer sources of resistance against pests, diseases and other yield-curbing constraints is to create hybrids by utilising the wild species.

With the development of embryo rescue and tissue culture techniques for cross-breeding gram, it is now possible to produce desirable gram hybrids that can withstand harsh weather and pest attacks.