Preliminary research on seed yield and nutritional traits of desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) grown in Central Italy in spring sowing

In Italy, chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivation of the kabuli type is predominant, with local landraces of the desi type, including the Apulian black chickpea, occurring almost exclusively in the south. However, increasing interest in the desi type on the part of farmers and consumers is based o...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Paolo CASINI
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani) 2022-04-01
Series:Acta Agriculturae Slovenica
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.uni-lj.si/aas/article/view/13063
_version_ 1797704256009011200
author Paolo CASINI
author_facet Paolo CASINI
author_sort Paolo CASINI
collection DOAJ
description In Italy, chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivation of the kabuli type is predominant, with local landraces of the desi type, including the Apulian black chickpea, occurring almost exclusively in the south. However, increasing interest in the desi type on the part of farmers and consumers is based on the nutritional properties constituting a niche area in the market health sector. Information pertaining to both field evaluation of desi chickpea in Central Italy and the chemical composition is scarce. Therefore, the aim of this preliminary research was to evaluate the agronomic performance to the agroclimatic environment of Central Italy of thirteen lines of desi chickpea accessions of different origins, as well as the ‘Apulian Black Chickpea’ (ABC). Accessions were sown on March 21 in 2019, without the use of irrigation. The principle qualitative characteristics, namely protein content and raw fiber were determined. Yield was excellent for 57 % of the accessions, some of which exceeded 3.0 t ha-1 with the maximum value of 4.1 t ha-1 recorded for ‘PI598080’ (brown seeds of Indian origin). ‘W617611’ (black seeds of Turkish origin) was the earliest flowering line at 74 days after sowing, permitting this accession to escape the onset of drought and high temperatures. Additional early flowering lines included ‘PI533676’ (black seeds of Ukrainian origin) and ‘PI567850’ (black seeds of Pakistani origin), respectively. Plant structure relating to the average height of the plants (47.0 cm), the height of the first pod (30.8 cm) and the number of branches per plant (2.6) rendered most accessions suitable to combine harvesting, an indispensable prerequisite in the maintenance of an economically sustainable crop. The average protein content was 22.7 % with maximum values exceeding 24 % (‘PI572520’ - black seeds of Syrian origin -, ‘W617614’ - black seeds of Turkish origin - and ‘PI572850’). The fiber content was very heterogeneous ranging from 4.6 % to 12.0 %.The present study provides the basis towards the future introduction of desi chickpea in Central Italy, with the potential for sustainable yield and quality.
first_indexed 2024-03-12T05:17:37Z
format Article
id doaj.art-55a189f152594685ab5b7ce6250ff8b6
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1854-1941
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-12T05:17:37Z
publishDate 2022-04-01
publisher University of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani)
record_format Article
series Acta Agriculturae Slovenica
spelling doaj.art-55a189f152594685ab5b7ce6250ff8b62023-09-03T07:55:45ZengUniversity of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani)Acta Agriculturae Slovenica1854-19412022-04-01118110.14720/aas.2022.118.1.205819455Preliminary research on seed yield and nutritional traits of desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) grown in Central Italy in spring sowingPaolo CASINI0Florence University (Università di Firenze)In Italy, chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivation of the kabuli type is predominant, with local landraces of the desi type, including the Apulian black chickpea, occurring almost exclusively in the south. However, increasing interest in the desi type on the part of farmers and consumers is based on the nutritional properties constituting a niche area in the market health sector. Information pertaining to both field evaluation of desi chickpea in Central Italy and the chemical composition is scarce. Therefore, the aim of this preliminary research was to evaluate the agronomic performance to the agroclimatic environment of Central Italy of thirteen lines of desi chickpea accessions of different origins, as well as the ‘Apulian Black Chickpea’ (ABC). Accessions were sown on March 21 in 2019, without the use of irrigation. The principle qualitative characteristics, namely protein content and raw fiber were determined. Yield was excellent for 57 % of the accessions, some of which exceeded 3.0 t ha-1 with the maximum value of 4.1 t ha-1 recorded for ‘PI598080’ (brown seeds of Indian origin). ‘W617611’ (black seeds of Turkish origin) was the earliest flowering line at 74 days after sowing, permitting this accession to escape the onset of drought and high temperatures. Additional early flowering lines included ‘PI533676’ (black seeds of Ukrainian origin) and ‘PI567850’ (black seeds of Pakistani origin), respectively. Plant structure relating to the average height of the plants (47.0 cm), the height of the first pod (30.8 cm) and the number of branches per plant (2.6) rendered most accessions suitable to combine harvesting, an indispensable prerequisite in the maintenance of an economically sustainable crop. The average protein content was 22.7 % with maximum values exceeding 24 % (‘PI572520’ - black seeds of Syrian origin -, ‘W617614’ - black seeds of Turkish origin - and ‘PI572850’). The fiber content was very heterogeneous ranging from 4.6 % to 12.0 %.The present study provides the basis towards the future introduction of desi chickpea in Central Italy, with the potential for sustainable yield and quality. https://journals.uni-lj.si/aas/article/view/13063Desi chickpeasCentral Italy spring sowingCicer arietinum L.
spellingShingle Paolo CASINI
Preliminary research on seed yield and nutritional traits of desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) grown in Central Italy in spring sowing
Acta Agriculturae Slovenica
Desi chickpeas
Central Italy spring sowing
Cicer arietinum L.
title Preliminary research on seed yield and nutritional traits of desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) grown in Central Italy in spring sowing
title_full Preliminary research on seed yield and nutritional traits of desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) grown in Central Italy in spring sowing
title_fullStr Preliminary research on seed yield and nutritional traits of desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) grown in Central Italy in spring sowing
title_full_unstemmed Preliminary research on seed yield and nutritional traits of desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) grown in Central Italy in spring sowing
title_short Preliminary research on seed yield and nutritional traits of desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) grown in Central Italy in spring sowing
title_sort preliminary research on seed yield and nutritional traits of desi chickpea cicer arietinum l grown in central italy in spring sowing
topic Desi chickpeas
Central Italy spring sowing
Cicer arietinum L.
url https://journals.uni-lj.si/aas/article/view/13063
work_keys_str_mv AT paolocasini preliminaryresearchonseedyieldandnutritionaltraitsofdesichickpeacicerarietinumlgrownincentralitalyinspringsowing