Salinity is a complex abiotic stress and understanding the physiological and genetic basis of salinity tolerance is a prerequisite for improving existing crop cultivars. Experiments were undertaken using 126 recombinant inbred lines from a cross between JG 62 (tolerant) and ICCV 2 (sensitive) to characterize traits related to seed yield differences under saline conditions and to map quantitative trait loci (QTL). The population segregated for flowering time and entries were separated into 'early' and 'late' phenology groups to undertake the analysis. In both groups seed yield varied under salinity, with 4 seed number being the most closely related trait to yield. In contrast, seed yield was not related to 100-seed weight or flowering time. Shoot dry weight was positively correlated with seed yield in the early entries only, but had no significant relationship with seed number. The higher sensitivity to salinity of the early entries was related both to a smaller biomass and lesser seed number under saline conditions. A QTL for seed yield under saline conditions was found in linkage group 3 in the late group, and a cluster of QTLs for seed yield components in linkage group 6, including a QTL for seed number which explained 37% of the variation. In contrast, no QTL for seed yield was found in the early group, but a QTL for seed number under saline conditions was found. These data indicate that salinity tolerance traits are linked to the degree of earliness in chickpea. Tolerance is determined by the success of reproductive sites in both early and late entries, which relates in part to constitutive traits, and by the capacity of maintaining growth in earlyflowering lines only. This is the first report of QTLs for seed yield and seed number in chickpea exposed to salinity.

Botrytis grey mould (BGM) caused by Botrytis cinerea Pers. ex. Fr. is the second most important foliar disease of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) after ascochyta blight. An intraspecific linkage map of chickpea consisting of 144 markers assigned on 11 linkage groups was constructed from recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of a cross that involved a moderately resistant kabuli cultivar ICCV 2 and a highly susceptible desi cultivar JG 62. The length of the map obtained was 442.8 cM with an average interval length of 3.3 cM. Three quantitative trait loci (QTL) which together accounted for 43.6% of the variation for BGM resistance were identified and mapped on two linkage groups. QTL1 explained about 12.8% of the phenotypic variation for BGM resistance and was mapped on LG 6A. It was found tightly linked to markers SA14 and TS71rts36r at a LOD score of 3.7. QTL2 and QTL3 accounted for 9.5 and 48% of the phenotypic variation for BGM resistance, respectively, and were mapped on LG 3. QTL 2 was identified at LOD 2.7 and flanked by markers TA25 and TA144, positioned at 1 cM away from marker TA25. QTL3 was a strong QTL detected at LOD 17.7 and was flanked by TA159 at 12 cM distance on one side and TA118 at 4 cM distance on the other side. This is the first report on mapping of QTL for BGM resistance in chickpea. After proper validation, these QTL will be useful in markerassisted pyramiding of BGM resistance in chickpea.

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