Population structure and gene flow analysis in novel chickpea germplasm to improve crop and its genetic base

The genetic base of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) has become narrow due to less emphasis on the diversity of germplasm, thus making it sensitive to changing environmental conditions. Continuous gene mining and utilization of chickpea germplasm are pre-requisites for sustainable chickpea cultivars. The present study analyzed diversity in chickpea germplasm using sequence-tagged microsatellite markers (STMS). The SSR analysis showed presence of a total of 42 distinct alleles with an average polymorphic value of 0.47. A medium level of gene diversity was also found which ranged from 0.09 to 0.77 with an average value of 0.53. Remarkably, two diverse populations were recovered using phylogenetic as well as population structure analysis. Furthermore, the admixtures present in the population reflect a strong possibility of gene flow between accessions. The present study provides novel, substantive and valuable information about gene flow and genetic structure in chickpea germplasms that strengthen its genetic base and contribute to the development of sustainable chickpea varieties.