Genetic Diversity in Chickpea

Rapid changes in climate coupled with population explosion are the greatest challenges before the humanity in attaining future food and nutritional security across the globe. In this context, Chickpea being rich in grain protein food legumes play an important role in reducing hunger and malnutrition. Chickpea has been an integral part of Indian agriculture since time immemorial because of its intrinsic value in term of higher protein, nitrogen fixing ability and indispensability as alternative crop for crop diversification. Diversity analysis is a useful tool in quantifying the degree of divergence between biological population at genotypic level and to assess relative contribution of different components to the total divergence both at intra and inter cluster levels. Information on nature and degree of genetic divergence would help the plant breeder in choosing the right parents for the breeding programme. This book provides a comprehensive study of genetic diversity in chickpea. We hope that the book will serve as an important resource material for those engaged in the task of improving and stabilizing chickpea production and will stimulate further research on critical aspect.