Unravelling the genetic architecture underlying yield components and agronomic traits is important for enhancing crop productivity. Here, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population, developed from ICC 4958 and DCP 92–3 cross, was used for constructing linkage map and QTL mapping analysis. The RIL population was genotyped using a high-throughput Axiom®CicerSNP array, which enabled the development of a high-density genetic map consisting of 3,818 SNP markers and spanning a distance of 1064.14 cM. Analysis of phenotyping data for yield, yield components and agronomic traits measured across three years together with genetic mapping data led to the identification of 10 major-effect QTLs and six minor-effect QTLs explaining up to 59.70% phenotypic variance. The major-effect QTLs identified for 100-seed weight, and plant height possessed key genes, such as C3HC4 RING finger protein, pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) protein, sugar transporter, leucine zipper protein and NADH dehydrogenase, amongst others. The gene ontology studies highlighted the role of these genes in regulating seed weight and plant height in crop plants. The identified genomic regions for yield, yield components, and agronomic traits, and the closely linked markers will help advance genetics research and breeding programs in chickpea.

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Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is an important food crop cultivated in dryland agricultural ecosystem. It is an important source of dietary protein to millions of people living in low-income countries in South-east Asia and Africa. The present study emphasises the development of genomic resources and their application in marker–trait association for plant phenology and yield-related traits in lathyrus. In silico mining of nucleotide sequences identified 203 simple sequence repeat (SSR) motifs, of which trimer repeats (62%) were most abundant followed by tetramer (19%), hexamer (10%), pentamer (6%) and dimer (3%) nucleotide repeats. Of 150 SSR markers screened, 60 markers were amplified 75 alleles from 50 germplasm lines with 2–3 alleles per locus and the polymorphic information content of 0.45 was observed. We report 6 significant marker–trait associations using the developed SSR markers for plant phenology and yield-related traits following mixed linear model (Q+K) analysis. Gene ontology search of trait linked markers revealed marker regions encoding genes related to homeobox-leucine zipper protein ATHB-6-like, rubredoxin family protein, and cationic peroxidise. Understanding the association of novel alleles in trait expression will play a significant role in future lathyrus crop improvement programmes.

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Chickpea is a premier food legume crop with high nutritional quality and attains prime importance in the current era of 795 million people being undernourished worldwide. Chickpea production encounters setbacks due to various stresses and understanding the role of key transcription factors (TFs) involved in multiple stresses becomes inevitable. We have recently identified a multi-stress responsive WRKY TF in chickpea. The present study was conducted to predict the structure of WRKY TF to identify the DNA-interacting residues and decipher DNA-protein interactions. Comparative modelling approach produced 3D model of the WRKY TF with good stereochemistry, local/global quality and further revealed W19, R20, K21, and Y22 motifs within a vicinity of 5 Å to the DNA amongst R18, G23, Q24, K25, Y36, Y37, R38 and K47 and these positions were equivalent to the 2LEX WRKY domain of Arabidopsis. Molecular simulations analysis of reference protein -PDB ID 2LEX, along with Car-WRKY TF modelled structure with the DNA coordinates derived from PDB ID 2LEX and docked using HADDOCK were executed. Root Mean Square (RMS) Deviation and RMS Fluctuation values yielded consistently stable trajectories over 50 ns simulation. Strengthening the obtained results, neither radius of gyration, distance and total energy showed any signs of DNA-WRKY complex falling apart nor any significant dissociation event over 50 ns run. Therefore, the study provides first insights into the structural properties of multi-stress responsive WRKY TF-DNA complex in chickpea, enabling genome wide identification of TF binding sites and thereby deciphers their gene regulatory networks.