Research Projects

The project aims to identify chickpea genotypes with higher phosphorus use efficiency, as phosphorus availability is limited to plants due to its low solubility. The application of water-soluble phosphorus fertilisers, such as superphosphate and di-ammonium phosphate, is a common agricultural practice globally, but these are produced from limited non-renewable rock phosphate reserves. The most sustainable and productive agricultural systems are those where phosphorus exports are balanced by phosphorus inputs and have high phosphorus use efficiency. Chickpea, the second most important grain legume worldwide, is cultivated mainly on marginal soils, and phosphorus deficiency often restricts chickpea yields. Understanding the agronomy/genetics of traits, such as root morphology, plant architecture, and rhizospheric modification, can help develop strategies to reduce P-fertilizer application and increase crop adaptation to edaphic stress. The proposed objectives include morphological characterization of diverse chickpea panels under sufficient/deficit P regimes in field conditions, assessing agronomic use efficiency of P and physiological characterization of selected contrasting lines in different P regimes, and validating screened material in high and low P status for identification of P use efficient genotypes. Hypothesis: Large accessions of chickpea genotypes grown under low-P conditions and with P-supplied conditions will have variation in root morphology and adaptation behavior that are important for variations in P-acquisition. Few large accessions of chickpea genotypes may be efficient in P-acquisition and P-use, which can be used for future breeding programs.