Semi-Annual Report Format for Feed the Future Innovation Labs

The lab is currently in a no-cost extension year, with a significantly reduced budget, and is scaling down project activities. Germplasm development is a key area of focus, with 8,800 F3 lineages grown in the field and F4 seed harvested. Yield-related data were collected, and these materials were imported to Australia for amplification and inclusion in the multi-national germplasm system. Approximately 3,000 F4 lineages and 750 F3 lineages were planted in the field for phenotyping and seed collection during summer 2019. Researchers have made significant progress in identifying genetic traits that confer resistance to Fusarium wilt, a major disease affecting chickpea crops. A single recessive trait has been identified that is highly effective against Fusarium wilt in sick plots at Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center. The trait was mapped to a 20Mb region on chromosome 4, and several thousand F3 seed were sent to Davis for fine mapping. In addition to Fusarium wilt resistance, researchers have also made progress in understanding Ascochyta blight, a disease caused by a fungus. Genome sequencing has revealed that the organism responsible for Ascochyta blight in Ethiopia is not Ascochyta rabei, but rather a related organism classified as an unknown Phoma species. This finding has significant implications for disease management and breeding. Other areas of research focus include drought tolerance, nitrogen fixation, and acid soils. Phenotyping of wild x cultivated hybrid lineages at ICRISAT has revealed interesting, drought-tolerant lineages. Field trials in Ethiopia and at ICRISAT have also shown high-performing strains of Mesorhizobium from the lab's collection. Researchers have identified landraces of chickpea from Ethiopia that tolerate acidic conditions in the presence of aluminum. The lab has also made progress in developing a public relational database for germplasm, phenotyping, and genomics data. In conjunction with the James Hutton Institute, the lab has transferred data for approximately 1,000 wild relatives, 5,000 F2 lines, and 8,800 F4 lines. Human and institutional capacity development is also a key aspect of the lab's work. Short-term training has been provided to a Fulbright scholar from the Indian Institute for Agricultural Research, and long-term training has been provided to several PhD students from Addis Ababa University and UC Davis. Innovation transfer and scaling partnerships are also an important focus of the lab's work. A research agreement has been established involving Crites Seed in Washington State, UC Davis, and Rhizobacter Inc in Argentina. However, production delays for the inoculant in Argentina have caused the lab to miss the planting window in Washington State. The lab is also negotiating with Fintrac about the possibility of scaling project outcomes related to nitrogen fixation and linking with industry in Ethiopia. The lab is currently winding down and anticipates continuing specific aspects of the current work after the project ends in December.