Location: Grain Legume Genetics Physiology Research
Project Number: 2090-21000-038-023-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2026
End Date: Dec 31, 2027
Objective:
The objectives of this cooperative research agreement are to: 1. Evaluate USDA chickpea breeding lines and popular commercial varieties for concentrations of total dietary fiber, soluble starch, and resistant starch. 2. Conduct analysis across multiple years, genotypes, and locations to determine the effects of genotype (G), environment (E), and G x E interaction effects on concentrations of fiber and starch. 3. Determine relationships between dietary fiber and starch concentrations and other agronomic traits in chickpea.
Approach:
Field Studies: Experiments will be conducted in 2026 at multiple locations in Washington and Idaho to evaluate performance of promising USDA chickpea breeding lines and comparative popular commercial varieties, including ‘Sierra’, ‘Nash’, and ‘USDA Quinn’. Locations will include the Washington State University Spillman Agronomy Farm, in Pullman, WA, along with other field sites of cooperating growers. Prior to planting, seeds will be treated with appropriate commercial seed treatments that include fungicide, insecticide, and sodium molybdenite. Each experiment will consist of three replicated plots per entry (1.2 x 6.1 m) planted in randomized complete block design (RCBD). During the growing season plots will be evaluated for several important agronomic traits including plant height, lodging tolerance, days to flower, and days to
mature. Plots will be mechanically harvested and yields determined for each plot. After harvest, hundred seed weight (HSW) will be determined for each plot from a random 100 g seed sample. Clean seed samples will be packaged and provided to Cooperator for determining concentrations of total dietary fiber, resistant starch, and soluble starch.
Determining nutritional qualities: Small samples (2-3 seeds) from each plot will be finely ground and analyzed by Fourier-transform mid-infrared (FT-MIR) spectroscopy to determine concentrations of total dietary fiber as previously described (Madurapperumage et al. 2025. The Plant Phenome J. 8:e70022). Similarly, small ground samples from each plot will be analyzed for concentrations of resistant starch and soluble starch using a commercial assay as previously described (McCleary and Monaghan. 2022. J. AOAC. Intl. 85:665-675).
Statistical Analysis: Data for fiber and starch concentrations will be subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to detect significant genotype (G), environment (E), and G x E interaction effects for nutritional traits. Genotype + Genotype x Environment (GGE) analysis will be performed using data from 2025 and 2026 to identify chickpea genotypes that stably express high seed fiber concentration across years and environments (Joshi and Vandemark. 2025. Crop Sci. 65:e21417). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) will be conducted to examine relationships between fiber and starch concentrations and agronomic traits.