Advanced backcross strategy for alien introgression for productivity enhancing traits in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

A chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivar, GPF2, was crossed with two accessions, EC556270 and ILWC21, of its wild relative C. reticulatum with the objective to introgress productivity enhancing traits from wild to cultivated chickpea. The F(1)s were backcrossed to cultivated parent to generate backcross derived generations and also selfed to generate F-3 progenies. In BC1F1 and BC2F1 generations, plants showing superiority for fruiting branches, pods and seed yield over the recurrent parent were recovered. A set of 77 BC1F2 and F-3 progenies along with recurrent parent was grown to record data on various morphological traits, yield components and seed yield were recorded. There was significant improvement in number of pods, number of primary and secondary branches and seed yield. Some BC1F2 progenies recorded 30-32% higher seed yield as compared to recurrent parent. Many backcross progenies were superior to the cultivated parent for more than one trait. It was observed that F-2 and F-3 progenies were inferior as compared to the backcross derived progenies due to the undesirable characters like prostrate growth habit, seed shape and dull seed colour which were inherited from the wild parent. Results showed that the wild donors contributed several positive alleles for yield and yield contributing traits. The study also suggested that one or two backcrosses are required to reduce linkage drag of undesirable traits from the wild donors.