Project Number: 5348-21000-024-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Apr 22, 2008
End Date: Apr 21, 2013

Objective:
The long-term objectives of this project are the following: 1) Develop improved varieties of pea, chickpea, and lentil that have enhanced resistance to diseases and abiotic stresses along with improved nutritional and processing traits; 2) Characterize the genetic basis for agronomically important traits in pea, lentil and chickpea; 3) Identify and characterize the genetic domains in pathogens of these crops that are responsible for disease, and 4) Develop improved methods for detecting pathogens and screening for disease resistance.

Approach:
Identify and select improved germplasm and cultivars for pea, lentil, and chickpea through systematic evaluation under biotic and abiotic stress conditions to identify tolerant or resistant types for release to stakeholders.Identify genetic factors through classical breeding methods contributing to cold tolerance and winter hardiness in pea and lentil germplasm. Saturate genetic maps for the genomic regions that control Ascochyta blight resistance (ABR) in chickpea for fine mapping and identification of molecular markers for selection. Saturate genetic maps to identify markers linked to a broad range of agronomically important traits in pea, lentil, and chickpea. Increase mechanistic understanding of host-pathogen interactions to improve breeding and selection strategies for disease resistance in pea, lentil, and chickpea by challenging plants with respective pathogens and studying disease responses and pathogen biology.