Identifying chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes rich in ascorbic acid as a source of drought tolerance.

Abstract

Drought stress induces a range of physiological changes in plants, including oxidative damage. Ascorbic acid (AsA), commonly known as vitamin C, is a vital non-enzymatic antioxidant capable of scavenging reactive oxygen species and modulating key physiological processes in crops under abiotic stresses like drought. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), predominantly cultivated in drought-prone regions, offers an ideal model for studying drought tolerance. We explored the potential of AsA phenotyping to enhance drought tolerance in chickpea. Using an automated phenomics facility to monitor daily soil moisture levels, we developed a protocol to screen chickpea genotypes for endogenous AsA content. The results showed that AsA accumulation peaked at 30% field capacity (FC)-when measured between 11:30 am and 12:00 noon-coinciding with the maximum solar radiation (32 °C). Using this protocol, we screened 104 diverse chickpea genotypes and two control varieties for genetic variability in AsA accumulation under soil moisture depletion, identifying two groups of genotypes with differing AsA levels. Field trials over two consecutive years revealed that genotypes with higher AsA content, such as BDNG-2018-15 and PG-1201-20, exhibited enhanced drought tolerance and minimal reductions in yield compared to standard cultivars. These AsA-rich genotypes hold promise as valuable genetic resources for breeding programs aimed at improving drought tolerance in chickpea.

Plant phenotyping relevance

チックピーの内生AsA含量を測定・スクリーニングするプロトコルを開発し、自動フェノミクス施設で多数遺伝子型に適用しているため、植物フェノタイピング手法が中心的です。

Code and data availability

The paper reports chickpea AsA phenotyping under drought (104 genotypes, phenomics platform, field trials) with phenotype data in Supplementary Table 2, but no public dataset, code, or model deposit is provided. The Data availability statement says raw data are available only from the authors on demand, and the only附带s

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