Breeding Novel Genotypes in Chickpea and Lentil

Among cool season pulses, chickpea and lentil account for over 74% and 79%, respectively of the total area and production under Rabipulses in India. The climate change has resulted in contraction of cool season duration, and as a result, terminal heat stress and root diseases complex are constraining the productivity of both chickpea and lentil. This has necessitated breeding novel genotypes with unique adaptive features to combat the adverse impacts of climate change. Two crosses (BGD 9971 × IPCK 2002-29 and BGD 9971 × JG 16) of chickpea were advanced to succeeding generations commencing from 2014-15. In Fgeneration, one F(BGD 119971 × IPCK 2002-29) showed only partial dominance of non-determinate (NDT) growth habit (of IPCK 2002-29) over the determinate (DT) habit (of BGD 9971). However, the second cross (BGD 9971 × JG 16) indicated complete dominance of NDT (JG 16) over the DT type (BG 9971); the Fgeneration showed a 15 (NDT):1 (DT) ratio, showing duplicate gene action for growth 2habit in chickpea. The same was confirmed in the randomly selected Fprogenies also. During 32018-19, a total of 4 DT Fprogenies derived from the cross (BGD 9971 × IPCK 2002-29) were 6 grown and assessed in preliminary trial for yield and other attributes. Based on their performance over the check (IPCK 2002-29), two superior lines, viz. RCECK 17-2 and RCECK 17-4, were selected for further evaluation. The 'RCECK 19-4' significantly outyielded (1852 kg/ha) the check 'IPCK 2002-29' (1513 kg/ha). In lentil, a segregating population derived from a cross (ILWL118 × DPL58) was also advanced, and 16 single plant selections (SPS) were performed based on biomass, earliness and no. of pods. Further selections in succeeding generations resulted in the identification of a super early genotype 'RCEL19-1' in the year 2019-20. Besides super earliness, this genotype when evaluated in wilt-sick nursery showed greater mortality than the susceptible check 'Seohore 74-3', making it a suitable susceptible check for assessing wilt reaction of test genotypes in the pathological trials. These two novel genotypes, viz. 'RCECK 17-4' (chickpea) and 'RCEL19-1' (lentil), hold promise to be registered as useful genetic stocks for further utilization in breeding programmes.