Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is one of the world's three most
consumed pulses (the other two are Phaseolus vulgaris and Pisum
sativum). Chickpea was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent of
the Middle East, together with other pulses as well as wheat and
barley. It is believed to be derived from the the wild species
C. reticulatum. Chickpea probably reached the Mediterranean
region by 4000 B.C. and India by 2000 B.C. In the 16th century
it was brought to the New World by the Spanish and Portuguese.
Today, the biggest producer is India (where Chickpeas are
consumed extensively), but several other countries in South
Asia, the Middle East, the Mediterranean region, and elsewhere
are also significant producers (United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization FAOSTAT website, 2010 data). Chickpea
breeders face a special challenge from the low genetic variation
present in the domesticated gene pool (Abbo et al. 2011). The
Chickpea plant has finely divided leaves, giving it a feathery
appearance. The pods are oblong (