Editing Cicer (section)

==Hybridization==
Hybridization, or the reproduction of two species to create distinctive offspring, is especially important in developing new food crops from existing species. Because of the phylogenetic and genetic data studied and produced in the past, a hybrid between perennial and annual ''Cicer'' species is promising. Many steps have been taken to improve the hybridization techniques and results between perennial and annual species, but it has proven difficult to create a viable offspring from these crosses.<ref name=Croser>{{cite journal|last1=Croser|first1=JS|last2=Ahmad|first2=F|last3=Clarke|first3=HJ|last4=Siddique|first4=KHM|title=Utilisation of wild ''Cicer'' in chickpea improvement - progress, constraints, and prospects|journal=Australian Journal of Agricultural Research|date=2003|volume=54|issue=5|pages=429–444|doi=10.1071/AR02157}}</ref> Not surprisingly, it has been relatively easy to hybridize annuals together and perennials together.<ref name=Croser/> Other research has shown some success with crossing specific annual and perennial species of the genus. One particularly successful cross between "the annual ''C. cuneatum'' and perennial ''C. canariense''" showed a "partially fertile with intermediate morphology" F-1 generation.<ref name=Abbo/>

This success, however, is determined by which species provides each gamete and therefore presents some possible difficulties in cultivating the crop further.<ref name=Abbo/> This cross is especially interesting because it is one of the few partial successes of the perennial and annual crosses, which have proven especially difficult. Furthermore, the species crossed, ''C. cuneatum'' and ''C. canariense'' were previously determined as sister species during evolutionary analysis in previous research.<ref name=Caputo/>

Such research is at the forefront of developing a perennial food crop for ''Cicer'' that is related to its modern cultivar, the chickpea. Perennial crops have an advantage to food production because they are a more [[sustainable food systems|sustainable food]] option than annual crops. As seen, the genetic and evolutionary relationships of the species play a crucial role in developing hybrids between the species, and can be used to determine further relationships.

<ref name="Hybridization of ''Cicer'' species">{{cite journal|last1=Bisht|first1=IS|last2=Kumar|first2=K|last3=Singh|first3=M|title=Exploitation of wild annual ''Cicer'' species for widening the gene pool of chickpea cultivars.|journal=Plant Breeding|volume=134|issue=2|page=186|doi=10.1111/pbr.12254|year=2015|bibcode=2015PBree.134..186S }}</ref>