Brazil receives complete collection of chickpeas from India

Agreement signed with Embrapa made it possible to import the chickpea germplasm bank to join the Brazilian collection, used in genetic improvement research

25.08.2021 | 20:59 (UTC -3)
Embrapa

An agreement signed between the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), based in India, made it possible to import the entire grain germplasm bank (core collection) chickweed from this country to join the Brazilian collection, used in genetic improvement research for the development of new cultivars.

In total, Brazil received more than 25 kilos of chickpea seeds, with 1853 samples individually packaged in paper envelopes containing approximately 100 seeds each. The material entered the country at the end of April and, after processing the import dossier under inspection by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA), it completed a period of quarantine at Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, located in Brasília/DF, for plant health analyzes and tests, before being released for agricultural research purposes.

“The transfer of the chickpea seed collection between India and Brazil was facilitated by the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (TIIRFA), to which both countries are signatories”, explains technician Danielle Biscaia , supervisor of the Programming Support Center at Embrapa Hortaliças (Brasília/DF).

During quarantine, plant materials undergo analysis in different laboratories to investigate the possible presence of mites, insects, weeds, bacteria, fungi, nematodes and viruses. “The analyzes seek to intercept quarantine pests (according to the list published by MAPA) and exotic pests that could cause damage to the crop being introduced”, explains Norton Polo Benito, researcher at Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology.

According to him, the analyzes are carried out directly on the seeds, with part of the seeds being reserved for planting, so that the plant's development can be monitored and new analyzes can be carried out on plants with pest symptoms.

Asset for research

After the end of the quarantine period, which can vary from four to six months, the collection from ICRISAT will become part of Embrapa's Active Germplasm Bank (BAG) for chickpeas and will then be used for crossbreeding. between different materials within the scope of the genetic improvement program to obtain new cultivars, with characteristics of interest to the national production sector.

At Embrapa's BAG, the samples are stored in a cold chamber, but first they go through a drying process to reach the recommended humidity of 10% and are then placed in moisture-proof aluminized packaging. In the cold room, they are stored at a temperature of 5 ºC to 10 ºC with 40% relative humidity.

“Having access to a complete bank from an international research center, with samples collected in different locations around the world and with a lot of variability, increases our possibility of finding materials with tolerance to pests and diseases or other interesting qualities for the context of production and management. consumption of chickpeas in the country”, assesses researcher Warley Nascimento, from Embrapa Hortaliças, commenting that the market has become more demanding by requiring earlier, more productive cultivars with good agronomic, industrial and nutritional characteristics.

Chickpea samples will be planted in Brazilian climate and soil conditions to evaluate agronomic performance. Experts estimate that, on average, the research will take five years to evaluate all the samples received. “Chickpeas are a species originating from the Asian continent and, therefore, when we plant the samples here, everything will be new and different from the behavior observed there. It is important to evaluate well in Brazilian conditions and, thus, guarantee the continuity of research with chickpeas in our country”, says Nascimento, who was in India on a visit to ICRISAT when he began negotiations to receive the collection.  

New cultivars and possibility of export

There are two fronts of work with the new chickpea samples from Embrapa's germplasm collection: in the short term, after testing the materials under Brazilian conditions, if any material adapts completely well, it can be made available as a new grow crops; and in the medium term, the new samples will be inserted in the crosses carried out in the genetic improvement program, together with the cultivars already developed by Embrapa, such as the BRS Aleppo chickpea, with the aim of obtaining cultivars with superior characteristics.

According to the researcher, all characteristics will be considered throughout the study, but the search will focus more on materials tolerant to the pod caterpillar, a worrying pest in chickpea crops; materials that better support water deficits and prolonged drought conditions, to position grain planting in the off-season and in semi-arid regions; and materials with a high protein content that facilitate processing in the form of plant-based foods, especially as this segment is growing by 10 to 20% per year.

Furthermore, on the research horizon, there is also the possibility of the country becoming an exporter of chickpeas to the rest of the world. Currently, Embrapa's BRS cultivars are all of the kabuli type, which is the larger beige grain, most consumed on the national market. “With the new samples being part of our germplasm bank, we will be able to expand research into desi-type chickpeas, which have small, brownish seeds, and are more consumed in other countries. Therefore, we expanded our range of research activities with potential for export to the international market”, concludes Nascimento.

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