Characterization and selection of chickpea lines (Cicer arietinum L.) introduced in Cuba

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an excellent option for the cuban population�??s feeding due to its high nutritious and medicinal value. Chickpea has the advantage of being resistant to the drought and it also contributes to improve the soil quality due to the biological nitrogen fixation in association with the Rhizobium bacterias genus. It allows to
reduce the chemical fertilizers applications and minimize the emissions of contaminant gases to the atmosphere. With the purpose of to take advantage of these kindness and to substitute imports through the dissemination of the this species fundamentally in the local rural sector, it was introduced from the Institute of Investigations in Dry Areas (ICARDA) in the Arabian Republic of Syria, a high chickpea genetic diversity, of the type «Kabuli». The existence of this germoplasm, offers the possibility to explore the wide existent genetic variability in these materials, with the purpose of supporting the individual selection of excellent pure lines, adapted to local conditions. The characterization and selection of promising genotypes was based in three statistical analyses: variance analysis (ANOVA), main components analysis (ACP) and cluster. Results showed that significant differences didn�??t exist among the nurseries neither among the chickpea genotypes that integrate them. The more weight variables in the characterization of the evaluated germoplasm were: days to maturation, days to flowering, branches number, height and yield. Five groups were conformed in based on these variables and one group was selected, integrated by seven promising lines that expressed high yield potential and good agronomic characteristic.