Using the IIIVmrMLM Method to Confirm and Search for New Genome-Wide Associations in Chickpea

Abstract

The chickpea (Cicer arientinum) is an important crop grown in the Middle East, Central Asia, Turkey, India, and southern Russia and is used in a wide variety of traditional dishes. The decrease in genetic diversity during domestication, as well as its greater sensitivity to abiotic and biotic stresses, provides the idea of using landraces in breeding programs to improve the crop. The new IIIVmrMLM method for genome-wide association searching allowed us to identify new variants in the genetic data of the chickpea collection that were located within important genes and to identify landraces best suited to the climate of two experimental stations.