Inheritance of anthocyanin pigmentation in flower and other plant parts in the genus Cicer

Abstract

Chickpeas (Gicer arietinum L.) are often divided into two groups desi and kabuli. Besides the differences for seed characteristics, the former have purple anthocyanin pigmentation in most of the plant parts such as corolla, veins on the dorsal surface of the standard petal, floral pedicel, rachis, and stem. In contrast, kabuli does not show anthocyanin pigmentation in any plant part. Although both groups are cross compatible [1] and hybridization have been exploited between them to introgress the desirable traits from kabuli to desi and vice versa, yet the genetics of pigmentation in floral and other plant parts is not well understood. Many workers have reported a diversity of results in this regard [2-4]. Gene(s) involved in pigmentation have pleiotropic effects on various plant parts. However, Muehlbauer and Singh [5] reported that the relationship between corolla pigmentation and general plant pigmentation has not been established adequately. Moreover, information on genetics of anthocyanin pigmentation in inter-specific crosses between G. arietinum and G. reticulatum is lacking. The objectives of present studies were (i) to confirm the inheritance of floral pigmentation, and (ii) to correlate its expression in other plant parts for anthocyanin pigmentation in intra- and inter-specific crosses of chickpea.