Agromorphological characterisation of 21 accessions of chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) from the INIA Germplasm Bank, Peru

Lindo-Seminario D.; Bustamante-Carrasco Y.; Mendez-Farroñán S.; Morales-Pizarro A. · Bioagro (2026) · DOI: 10.51372/bioagro383.8

Resumen

The chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a crop of great global importance due to its nutritional value and nitrogen-fixing capacity. In Peru, there is a gap in information regarding the genetic potential and response to abiotic stress of accessions conserved ex situ. This highlights the importance of exploring the genetic diversity of this species, which is conserved by the Germplasm Bank of the National Institute of Agricultural Innovation (INIA), responsible for its safeguarding and conservation. To explore this resource, 21 accessions of C. arietinum L. were phenotypically characterized using 36 agromorphological descriptors (18 quantitative and 18 qualitative). Cluster analysis divided the collection into five groups, whose composition was determined primarily by the number of pods per plant, the weight of 100 seeds (PES100S), and the time of maturity traits that showed highly significant differences (p≤0.01). Group 1 had the highest yield in terms of number of pods (219 ± 32.5) and a vegetative cycle of 134 ± 4.42 days to seed maturity; whereas Groups 4 and 5 showed the lowest values. Additionally, multiple correspondence analysis showed that seed characteristics accounted for the largest proportion of qualitative variability (45.3 %). Phenotypic characterization allowed for the identification of promising accessions, such as those in Groups 1 and 3, with high potential for integration into genetic improvement programs aimed at sustainable agriculture in the country.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de Piura