Genetic resistance in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) against race 3 and 4 of Fusarium wilt

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), a rabi season pulse crop in India is affected by Fusarium wilt that limits its productivity. In the present study, F2 (BGD72 × WR315) and backcross (BGD72 × WR315) × BGD72 generations of chickpea were phenotyped against Fusarium wilt race 3 and race 4 isolates under sick plot and net house conditions. The plants segregated in 3:1 and 1:1 ratios in F2 and BC2F1 generations for resistance and susceptibility to the isolates of both the races, indicating monogenic resistance to each race in these populations. The total 25 isolates were characterized morphologically on potato dextrose medium and by molecular means using internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and beta-tubulin genes to confirm their species homology. The genetic analysis of F2 and back cross populations for wilt resistance was carried out using 16 simple sequence repeats (SSR) primers, of which, 5 SSRs (TA194, TA22, TR19, TA110 and TA96) were found polymorphic (31%). The segregation ratio of individual markers using χ2 test showed a monogenic inheritance in the F2 and back cross population for resistance to both of the races. The three primers (TA22, TA194 and TA96) utilized against race-4 isolates showed specific amplification pattern in resistant genotypes only confirming that these markers are highly effective and may be used for large scale screening against Fusarium wilt resistance breeding and marker assisted selection in future breeding programs. © 2022, Indian Phytopathological Society.