Grain quality in chickpea (<i>Cicer arietinum</i> L.) is a major factor affecting its consumption for human nutrition and health benefits. Some of the major factors affecting chickpea grain quality are: seed weight, size, colour, protein, starch and amylose concentration, and amylopectin structure. The objectives of this study were to: 1) determine variation, repeatability and genotype by environment interaction on thousand seed weight, starch, amylose and protein concentration of chickpea cultivars adapted to western Canada; 2) assess variations in global chickpea germplasm for thousand seed weight, seed size, protein, starch and amylose concentrations; and 3) characterize the desi and kabuli type chickpea for starch concentration, composition, and amylopectin structure to study their effect on starch enzymatic hydrolysis. Limited variation was observed in seed composition of chickpea cultivars adapted to the western Canadian prairies. Significant genotype by environment interaction occurred for starch, amylose, and protein (except for kabuli) concentrations, seed yield and thousand seed weight indicating that testing over a wide range of environments is needed to identify genotypes for grain quality improvement. Repeatability of starch, amylose, and protein concentrations was low and inconsistent across chickpea market classes. Broad sense heritability was higher than repeatability across all traits for all market classes implying that repeatability estimates do not set upper limits to heritability if significant genotype by environment interaction is present. The negative relationship between seed constituents and yield indicates that selection for chickpea cultivars with desired seed composition may require compromise with yield and indirect selection. All the mini core accessions that had above average seed diameter score in both desi and kabuli also had above average score for thousand seed weight. Selecting mini core with promising intrinsic and extrinsic quality characteristics may reduce yield. Slowly digestible starch was negatively correlated with hydrolysis index in both pure starch and meal starch of desi and kabuli. Amylose had a strong relationship with resistant starch but not with rate of starch hydrolysis. Genotypes with a significantly higher rate of starch hydrolysis had significantly lower 60-80 µm starch granule size volume. Amylopectin B2 chains were related to slowly digestible starch of meal (except kabuli) and extracted starch. Resistant starch positively correlated with B1 fraction of amylopectin chain length in both desi and kabuli meal starch. Our results suggest that there is no major difference between starch composition in the two chickpea market classes, although only three genotypes of each class were tested. The meal components affect the starch hydrolytic properties and the effect is genotype specific. The results also show that amylopectin structure influences starch hydrolytic properties. These observations emphasize that complete characterization of seed components is needed to obtain meaningful results regarding the desired nutritional and health benefits attributed to any grain.

Grain quality in chickpea (<i>Cicer arietinum</i> L.) is a major factor affecting its consumption for human nutrition and health benefits. Some of the major factors affecting chickpea grain quality are: seed weight, size, colour, protein, starch and amylose concentration, and amylopectin structure. The objectives of this study were to: 1) determine variation, repeatability and genotype by environment interaction on thousand seed weight, starch, amylose and protein concentration of chickpea cultivars adapted to western Canada; 2) assess variations in global chickpea germplasm for thousand seed weight, seed size, protein, starch and amylose concentrations; and 3) characterize the desi and kabuli type chickpea for starch concentration, composition, and amylopectin structure to study their effect on starch enzymatic hydrolysis. Limited variation was observed in seed composition of chickpea cultivars adapted to the western Canadian prairies. Significant genotype by environment interaction occurred for starch, amylose, and protein (except for kabuli) concentrations, seed yield and thousand seed weight indicating that testing over a wide range of environments is needed to identify genotypes for grain quality improvement. Repeatability of starch, amylose, and protein concentrations was low and inconsistent across chickpea market classes. Broad sense heritability was higher than repeatability across all traits for all market classes implying that repeatability estimates do not set upper limits to heritability if significant genotype by environment interaction is present. The negative relationship between seed constituents and yield indicates that selection for chickpea cultivars with desired seed composition may require compromise with yield and indirect selection. All the mini core accessions that had above average seed diameter score in both desi and kabuli also had above average score for thousand seed weight. Selecting mini core with promising intrinsic and extrinsic quality characteristics may reduce yield. Slowly digestible starch was negatively correlated with hydrolysis index in both pure starch and meal starch of desi and kabuli. Amylose had a strong relationship with resistant starch but not with rate of starch hydrolysis. Genotypes with a significantly higher rate of starch hydrolysis had significantly lower 60-80 µm starch granule size volume. Amylopectin B2 chains were related to slowly digestible starch of meal (except kabuli) and extracted starch. Resistant starch positively correlated with B1 fraction of amylopectin chain length in both desi and kabuli meal starch. Our results suggest that there is no major difference between starch composition in the two chickpea market classes, although only three genotypes of each class were tested. The meal components affect the starch hydrolytic properties and the effect is genotype specific. The results also show that amylopectin structure influences starch hydrolytic properties. These observations emphasize that complete characterization of seed components is needed to obtain meaningful results regarding the desired nutritional and health benefits attributed to any grain.

Os objetivos dessa pesquisa foram avaliar as alterações de natureza física, fisiológica e bioquímica durante a formação das sementes de soja, produzidas nos anos 2009 e 2010, em Piracicaba, São Paulo. Foram utilizadas sementes de dois cultivares de soja, CD - 202 e CD - 224, e os tratamentos foram compostos pelos momentos de colheita, ao longo do processo de formação das sementes, e pela utilização ou não da secagem artificial. Para as avaliações foram determinados os número de dias para a emergência da plântula, para a floração, para a floração plena, para a colheita, os parâmetros físicos (produtividade, teor de água das sementes e massa de mil sementes) fisiológicos (viabilidade e vigor) e bioquímicos (teores de óleo, de proteína, de clorofila, carotenoides, de lignina e de carboidratos). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos ao acaso, em que cada bloco continha uma unidade experimental de cada cultivar, distribuída de forma casualizada, em esquema fatorial de onze (momentos de colheita) x dois (sem secagem e com secagem), com quatro repetições e as análises estatísticas foram realizadas com o software R. Foi possível concluir que na maturidade fisiológica das sementes de soja, estádio R7, independentemente do cultivar e da avaliação das sementes úmidas ou secas, a produtividade, a viabilidade e os teores de lignina são máximos; No momento de colheita das sementes de soja, estádio R9, independentemente do cultivar e da avaliação de sementes úmidas ou secas, o acúmulo de massa é máximo, há a redução do teor de água, da viabilidade e do vigor e a semente tem mais óleo e proteína; O vigor das sementes é máximo no estádio R7 para as sementes avaliadas secas e no estádio R8 para as avaliadas úmidas, independentemente do cultivar; Há a degradação completa da clorofila nos estádios R7, para as sementes do cultivar CD - 202, e R8, para as sementes do cultivar CD - 224; Há carotenoides em todos os estádios de desenvolvimento da semente de soja, porém há mais carotenoides no início do processo de formação das sementes; Há variação da quantidade de carboidratos em função da avaliação das sementes úmidas ou secas. / This experiment aimed at the evaluation of the physical, physiological and biochemical changes during formation of soy seeds, produced in 2009 and 2010, in Piracicaba, São Paulo. Seeds of two cultivars of soy were used, namely CD - 202 and CD - 224, and treatments were composed by the moment of harvest, along the process of formation of seeds, and by the use or non-use of artificial drying. For the evaluations, we determined the number of days for seedling emergency, flowering, full flowering, harvest, physical parameters (productivity, rate of water in the seeds and mass of a thousand seeds) physiological parameters (viability and vigor) and biochemical parameters (rate of oil, of protein, of chlorophyll, of lignin and carbohydrates). The experimental delineation in use was in random blocks, in which each block contained one experimental unit of each cultivar, distributed at random, in a factorial scheme of eleven (harvesting periods), x two (dried and not dried), at four repetitions, and the statistical analysis were performed with software R. It was possible to conclude that at physiological maturity of soy seeds, stage R7, independently of the cultivar and of the evaluation of dry or humid seeds, the productivity, viability and rates of lignin are at their maximum; In the moment of harvest of soy seeds, stage R9, independently of the cultivar and evaluation of humid or dry seeds, the accumulation of mass is at its maximum, there is a drop in the level of water, of the viability and vigor, and the seed contains more oil and protein; The vigor of the seeds is at its maximum at stage R7 for the seeds which were evaluated dry and at stage R8 for the ones evaluated as humid, independently of the cultivar; There is the complete deterioration of the chlorophyll at stages R7, for the seeds of cultivar CD - 202 and R8, for the seeds of cultivar CD - 224; There are carotenoids in all stages of development of soy seed, however there are more of them in the beginning of the process of formation of seeds. There is variation of quantity of carbohydrates according to the evaluation of humid or dry seeds.

Os objetivos dessa pesquisa foram avaliar as alterações de natureza física, fisiológica e bioquímica durante a formação das sementes de soja, produzidas nos anos 2009 e 2010, em Piracicaba, São Paulo. Foram utilizadas sementes de dois cultivares de soja, CD - 202 e CD - 224, e os tratamentos foram compostos pelos momentos de colheita, ao longo do processo de formação das sementes, e pela utilização ou não da secagem artificial. Para as avaliações foram determinados os número de dias para a emergência da plântula, para a floração, para a floração plena, para a colheita, os parâmetros físicos (produtividade, teor de água das sementes e massa de mil sementes) fisiológicos (viabilidade e vigor) e bioquímicos (teores de óleo, de proteína, de clorofila, carotenoides, de lignina e de carboidratos). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos ao acaso, em que cada bloco continha uma unidade experimental de cada cultivar, distribuída de forma casualizada, em esquema fatorial de onze (momentos de colheita) x dois (sem secagem e com secagem), com quatro repetições e as análises estatísticas foram realizadas com o software R. Foi possível concluir que na maturidade fisiológica das sementes de soja, estádio R7, independentemente do cultivar e da avaliação das sementes úmidas ou secas, a produtividade, a viabilidade e os teores de lignina são máximos; No momento de colheita das sementes de soja, estádio R9, independentemente do cultivar e da avaliação de sementes úmidas ou secas, o acúmulo de massa é máximo, há a redução do teor de água, da viabilidade e do vigor e a semente tem mais óleo e proteína; O vigor das sementes é máximo no estádio R7 para as sementes avaliadas secas e no estádio R8 para as avaliadas úmidas, independentemente do cultivar; Há a degradação completa da clorofila nos estádios R7, para as sementes do cultivar CD - 202, e R8, para as sementes do cultivar CD - 224; Há carotenoides em todos os estádios de desenvolvimento da semente de soja, porém há mais carotenoides no início do processo de formação das sementes; Há variação da quantidade de carboidratos em função da avaliação das sementes úmidas ou secas. / This experiment aimed at the evaluation of the physical, physiological and biochemical changes during formation of soy seeds, produced in 2009 and 2010, in Piracicaba, São Paulo. Seeds of two cultivars of soy were used, namely CD - 202 and CD - 224, and treatments were composed by the moment of harvest, along the process of formation of seeds, and by the use or non-use of artificial drying. For the evaluations, we determined the number of days for seedling emergency, flowering, full flowering, harvest, physical parameters (productivity, rate of water in the seeds and mass of a thousand seeds) physiological parameters (viability and vigor) and biochemical parameters (rate of oil, of protein, of chlorophyll, of lignin and carbohydrates). The experimental delineation in use was in random blocks, in which each block contained one experimental unit of each cultivar, distributed at random, in a factorial scheme of eleven (harvesting periods), x two (dried and not dried), at four repetitions, and the statistical analysis were performed with software R. It was possible to conclude that at physiological maturity of soy seeds, stage R7, independently of the cultivar and of the evaluation of dry or humid seeds, the productivity, viability and rates of lignin are at their maximum; In the moment of harvest of soy seeds, stage R9, independently of the cultivar and evaluation of humid or dry seeds, the accumulation of mass is at its maximum, there is a drop in the level of water, of the viability and vigor, and the seed contains more oil and protein; The vigor of the seeds is at its maximum at stage R7 for the seeds which were evaluated dry and at stage R8 for the ones evaluated as humid, independently of the cultivar; There is the complete deterioration of the chlorophyll at stages R7, for the seeds of cultivar CD - 202 and R8, for the seeds of cultivar CD - 224; There are carotenoids in all stages of development of soy seed, however there are more of them in the beginning of the process of formation of seeds. There is variation of quantity of carbohydrates according to the evaluation of humid or dry seeds.