Researchers from The University of Western Australia (UWA)'s Institute
of Agriculture, in collaboration with the International Crops Research
Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) have identifiedgenesand
loci (the position of the genes) for chickpea root architecture and root
traits that were associated with phosphorus acquisition and use
efficiencies.

The UWA and ICRISAT research teams used three statistical models to
identify more than 100 marker-trait associations where they identified
one single genetic variation that they associated with phosphorous
uptake and use efficiency. Genes related to physiological phosphorus-use
efficiency, specific root length, and manganese concentration in mature
leaves were also identified.

According to the project's co-leader Professor Rajeev Varshney, ICRISAT
Research Program Director and Adjunct Professor with UWA and Murdoch
University, it was the world's first study that reported genomic regions
associated with the above important traits by using genome sequencing
data on a large set of germplasm lines.

New genes to improve chickpea phosphorus uptake and use efficiency
(uwa.edu.au)
[www.uwa.edu.au]