ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HELPS BREED HIGH-YIELDING CHICKPEAS

A major international research effort has developed a genetic model for chickpeas, with the potential to increase crop yields by up to 12%.

Illustrations

The team genetically mapped thousands of chickpea varieties, and the University of Queensland team then used this information to identify the most valuable gene combinations using artificial intelligence (AI). Professor Ben Hayes led the University of Queensland team with Professor Kai Voss-Fels and Associate Professor Lee Hickey to develop a plant breeding strategy that predicts haploid genomes, to improve seed weight. Professor Hayes said: “Most plant species have only a few varieties in sequence, so the international team analyzed more than 3,000 plant and natural varieties.

The landmark international study was chaired by Dr. Rajeev Varshney from the International Crops Research Institute of Semi-Arid Tropics in Hyderabad, India. The study confirmed the origin of chickpeas and provided a complete picture of the genetic variation in chickpeas.

Dr. Varshney said: “We have identified 1,582 new genes and established the chickpea genome, which lays the foundation for the breeding of superior chickpea varieties with a higher yield, tolerance to drought, and higher epidemics”.

Professor Hayes said the University of Queensland team used the data to model a chickpea plant with perfect genetics for seed weight, a trait linked to yield.

“This additional data led to the productivity increase predicted by our model,” he said. This model is still being refined. We are using our FastStack AI technology platform to engineer chickpeas with optimal genetics for maximum seed weight and we think this will eventually be a valuable tool for breeders in making chickpeas”.

FastStack combines AI with genomic prediction technology to identify the gene combinations most likely to improve crop yield. Chickpeas are the most planted pea in Australia after lupine, both in terms of area planted and yield. This plant ranks second in area and third in yield among legumes worldwide.

Associate Professor Lee Hickey, plant breeder and plant geneticist with the University of Queensland team, says the global demand for protein-rich legumes is growing.

“Improving chickpea yields for Australia provides an opportunity for farmers to supply more beans to local food industries and export markets,” he said. Using an AI-generated chickpea model to increase seed weight in the field will be challenging, given the number of generations it will take during breeding for optimal chickpea genetics and the impact of different environments and management practices for plant growth. But we have tools like speed breeding that can speed up this process.”

Dr. Hickey said new genomic breeding methods, including haplotype genotyping, are expected to redefine chickpea breeding strategies to develop high-yielding chickpea varieties and nutritious. Chickpeas are an important crop rotation in farming systems, as they are self-sufficient in nitrogen, reducing the need for nitrogen fertilizers.

Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Le Hong Van (According to ScienceDaily)