INDUCTION AND INHERITANCE OF COMPOUND LEAF AND CONE STIPULE IN THE CULTIVATED CHICKPEA (Cicer arietinum L.)

The cultivated chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) has multipinnate, simple and normal leaves, caused by mutations. About 1500 air-dried seeds (500 seeds per dose) of chickpea genotype ICC 6119 were irradiated with 200, 300 and 400 Gy gamma rays. Two new induced characteristics, compound leaf and cone stipule on internodes, were isolated in a single mutant chickpea in the M-3 generation. Inheritance of the new characteristics was studied in the segregating populations of the M-4 and the results indicated that the new characteristics were governed by two recessive genes designed as clcl and cscs symbols. These characteristics could be linked since they were jointly segregated. The new genes identified may be useful for gene mapping of Cicer species.