Chickpea: Its Origin, Distribution, Nutrition, Benefits, Breeding, and Symbiotic Relationship with Mesorhizobium Species

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), encompassing the desi and kabuli varieties, is a beloved pulse crop globally. Its cultivation spans over fifty countries, from the Indian subcontinent and southern Europe to the Middle East, North Africa, the Americas, Australia, and China. With a rich composition of carbohydrates and protein, constituting 80% of its dry seed mass, chickpea is also touted for its numerous health benefits, earning it the title of a ‘functional food’. In the past two decades, research has extensively explored the rhizobial diversity associated with chickpea and its breeding in various countries across Europe, Asia, and Oceania, aiming to understand its impact on the sustainable yield and quality of chickpea crops. To date, four notable species of Mesorhizobium—M. ciceri, M. mediterraneum, M. muleiense, and M. wenxiniae—have been reported, originally isolated from chickpea root nodules. Other species, such as M. amorphae, M. loti, M. tianshanense, M. oportunistum, M. abyssinicae, and M. shonense, have been identified as potential symbionts of chickpea, possibly acquiring symbiotic genes through lateral gene transfer. While M. ciceri and M. mediterraneum are widely distributed and studied across chickpea-growing regions, they remain absent in China, where M. muleiense and M. wenxiniae are the sole rhizobial species associated with chickpea. The geographic distribution of chickpea rhizobia is believed to be influenced by factors such as genetic characteristics, competitiveness, evolutionary adaptation to local soil conditions, and compatibility with native soil microbes. Inoculating chickpea with suitable rhizobial strains is crucial when introducing the crop to new regions lacking indigenous chickpea rhizobia. The introduction of a novel chickpea variety, coupled with the effective use of rhizobia for inoculation, offers the potential not only to boost the yield and seed quality of chickpeas, but also to enhance crop productivity within rotation and intercropped systems involving chickpea and other crops. Consequently, this advancement holds the promise to drive forward the cause of sustainable agriculture on a global scale.

Optimizing chickpea growth: Unveiling the interplay of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobium for sustainable agriculture

“…The symbiotic relationship between AMF and chickpea plants is known to induce the expression of various transporters, including aquaporin (AQ) genes, Pi transporters (PT), ammonium transporter (AMT), nitrate transporter (NT), K + transporter (2 HKTs, 6 KEAs, and 15 KUP/HAK/KTs), K + channels (8 Shakers and 5 TPKs), sulphur transporter, Zn transporter, carbon/hexose transporter, protein transporter, among others (Abd-Alla et al, 2019;Azeem et al, 2018;Bonfante & Genre, 2010;Deokar & Tar'An, 2016;Donskaya & Donskoy, 2021;Garg & Cheema, 2021;Laranjeira et al, 2021Laranjeira et al, , 2022Negussu et al, 2023;Palit et al, 2020;Thudi et al, 2021) (Figure 2). This discovery has led to extensive research on the nutritional aspects of symbionts, both at the physiological and molecular levels Smith & Smith, 2012;Zhang et al, 2024).…”