---
title: "Breakthrough in Plant Breeding Accelerates Heat-Adapted Chickpeas"
url: https://newscentral.site/breakthrough-in-plant-breeding-accelerates-heat-adapted-chickpeas/
language: en
publisher: "News Central Site"
section: "Science"
published: 2026-10-15T12:00:02.000Z
updated: 2026-10-15T12:47:16.329Z
id: 16d30919-23ec-4ced-b30b-d76ef354ab1b
source: "Phys.org https://phys.org/news/2026-10-chickpea-yield.html"
attribution: "Link to https://newscentral.site/breakthrough-in-plant-breeding-accelerates-heat-adapted-chickpeas/ and name News Central Site when you quote or summarize this story."
---

# Breakthrough in Plant Breeding Accelerates Heat-Adapted Chickpeas

Researchers from a University of Queensland study have announced a breakthrough in plant breeding that aims to accelerate the development of heat-adapted chickpeas using cutting-edge technologies.

A breakthrough in plant breeding has been announced by researchers from a University of Queensland study, which aims to accelerate the development of heat-adapted chickpeas using cutting-edge technologies.

The study's lead author, Ph.D. candidate Callum Jamie, emphasized that conventional breeding methods have limitations when it comes to stress tolerance due to the narrow genetic diversity within the elite chickpea gene pool.

This limitation has hindered the effectiveness of traditional plant breeding techniques in creating heat-tolerant chickpeas, a crop crucial for food security worldwide.

The researchers are instead turning to new 'omic' technologies such as genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, phenomics, and enviromics, which provide a comprehensive understanding of biological systems.

The current approaches to studying chickpea yields have several limitations. Most research has been based on a small number of omic datasets, which can make it difficult to understand how different traits are related and what mechanisms are at play.

This lack of comprehensive understanding is further complicated by the fact that most studies focus on single tissues or genotypes, making it hard to extrapolate results to larger breeding populations. As a result, researchers have limited ability to apply their findings in practical terms.

Researchers are also facing challenges related to cost and scalability, as well as integrating different types of data from various omic technologies. To overcome these hurdles, Jamie's research proposes a staged approach that starts with genomic prediction and phenotyping before adding additional layers of omic data.

The goal is to determine which types of information provide the most value and how best to integrate them in order to achieve a specific outcome. This proposed approach is part of a larger project aimed at developing chickpea varieties that can thrive in high-temperature conditions.

Chickpea yields in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales are under threat due to late sowing, a common issue in these regions.

Australian growers face intense competition in the global market, making it essential for them to maintain their competitive edge through innovative farming practices.

New chickpea varieties with improved genetics that can withstand heat stress are crucial for ensuring stable yields and meeting future demands.

---
Source: [Phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-10-chickpea-yield.html)  
Published by News Central Site: https://newscentral.site/breakthrough-in-plant-breeding-accelerates-heat-adapted-chickpeas/