Object: Expression patterns of morphological, biological and economic traits of kabuli and desi chickpea accessions. Objective: To determine the breeding value of starting material of domesticated chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) by adaptability to bio-and abiotic factors in the eastern forest-steppe of Ukraine via establishing patterns of variability of and relationships between valuable economic traits and assessing adaptability to bio-and abiotic factors in collection accessions; to select, on this basis, valuable traits for breeding programs. Methods: General-scientific, field, laboratory and mathematical-statistical. Novelty: For the first time in the eastern forest-steppe of Ukraine, the maximum positive effect of the effective temperature sum during the "the flowering onset - ripening" period on the chickpea growing period length was demonstrated. Higher drought tolerance of desi accessions was observed in comparison with kabuli accessions. Dependence of Ascochyta blight affection of chickpea plants on genotype and developmental phases was established. On this basis, a working collection was formed by chickpea resistance to Ascochyta blight. Cultivar Dobrobut (Ukraine) recovering vegetation after infection at an early stage was distinguished. Different relationships between the yield, performance and performance elements were shown for kabuli and desi chickpea accessions: kabuli had negative correlations with the seed size (r = -322 -0.95) and positive correlations with the seed number (r = 0.61 = 0.80), while desi, on the contrary, had positive correlations with the seed size (r = 0.40 0.68) and negative correlations with the seed number in favorable years (r = -0.61); in unfavorable years, correlations were positive like in kabuli accessions (r = 0.53, r = 0.63). Chickpea accessions were found to positively responded to nitration with Mesorhizobium ciceri, strain 065. Strain Н12 was less effective in the eastern forest-steppe of Ukraine. Reference cultivars were chosen, and a specific trait collection was formed by response to nitration of seeds with Mesorhizobium ciceri, strain 065. Results: Two hundred and forty sources of 12 valuable traits were selected: 131 kabuli accessions and 109 desi accessions; 58 of them were distinguished by a set of traits (26 and 32 kabuli and desi accessions, respectively), with various combinations of them in one genotype. The working collection of chickpea was formed by resistance to Ascochyta blight; it was registered with the National Center for Plant Genetic Resources of Ukraine. Two accessions - donor of resistance to Ascochyta blight, which were registered with the NCPGRU, were singled out: Stepnoy 1 (Russia; certificate No. 1648 dated 08.11.2017) and Vysokoroslyy 30 (Russia; certificate No. 1649 dated 08.11.2017). Reference accessions for positive and neutral response to nitration with Mesorhizobium ciceri, strain 065 were chosen: Triumf (Ukraine; certificate No. 551 dated 05.20.2009) and E 100 (Greece; certificate No. 552 dated 05.20.2009, respectively. Level of Implementation: The trait collection of chickpea by resistance to Ascochyta blight was transferred to the Plant Breeding and Genetics Institute for using in breeding programs. Chickpea sources of positive response to nitration with Mesorhizobium ciceri, strain 065, were transferred to the Institute of Agricultural Microbiology and Agro-Industrial Production of NAAS and included in breeding programs. The study results and the working collection of chickpea by resistance to Ascochyta blight are used in the teaching course "Specific Breeding of Field Crops" at Kharkiv National Agrarian University named after VV Dokuchaev. Scope of Implementation: Research institutions of NAAS, NAS and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, higher educational establishments, agrarian enterprises of Ukraine.
