Chickpea: Role and responses under abiotic and biotic stress - Legumes Under Environmental Stress: Yield, Improvement and Adaptations - page 74

4.8 Breeding of chickpea
for biotic stress

GL 88223, GLK 88114 and GF 89-75 showed moderate
resistance to stem rot. The wild Cicer species C. judaicum ,
C. reticulatum , C. pinnatifidum and C. yamashitae are
reported as being tolerant to stem rot (Kaur et al., 2008).
Forty genotypes and some accessions of wild Cicer
species ( C. judaicum , C. reticulatum , C. echinospermum
and C. pinnatifidum ) have shown resistance to botrytis
grey mould (BGM; Basandrai et al., 2006, 2008; Pande
et al., 2006, 2007a). Some lines derived through inter-
specific hybridization have shown a high level of
resistance to BGM (Kaur et al., 2008). C. judaicum is
reported to have resistant genes for ascochyta blight,
fusarium wilt and botrytis grey mould (van der Maesen &
Pundir, 1984).
Genotypes ICC 11284 and ICC 13441 showed
combined resistance against ascochyta blight and BGM,
and dry root rot and fusarium wilt, respectively
(Anonymous, 2010).

Annual Cicer species have been assessed for their reac-
tion to ascochyta blight, fusarium wilt, cyst nematode,
leaf miner and seed beetle at ICARDA (International
Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas), and
a high level of resistance to each stress has been identi-
fied (reviewed by Kumar et al., 2011).

4.8.1 Breeding chickpea for resistance
to diseases
Varieties with enhanced ascochyta blight resistance
have been released in India, Pakistan, Syria, the USA,
Canada and Australia (Ahmad et al., 2005; Materne
et al., 2011).
Basandrai et al. (2011) reported that sources resistant
to ascochyta blight have been identified and used in
breeding programmes (Malhotra et al., 2003; Pande
et al., 2005, 2007b; Basandrai et al., 2008). Lines with
moderate resistance to this disease have continually
been delivered to national programmes from ICARDA
and ICRISAT (Malhotra et al., 2003; Pande et al., 2005,
2006; Basandrai et al., 2008; Kaur et al., 2008; Sarker
et al., 2008). Pande et al. (2006) reported three acces-
sions as being moderately resistant to ascochyta blight,
but to date resistance sources have not been identified
against pathotypes III and IV, as identified in Syria
(Sarker et al., 2008). Gene pyramiding in lines has
resulted in higher resistance (Kaur et al., 2008; Gaur
et al., 2010).
Materne et al. (2011) reported that varieties with stable
resistance to fusarium wilt have been released in India
and also in other countries, and recent advances in
understanding of the genetic control of resistance are
likely to result in successful pyramiding of resistant genes
(Singh et al., 2008). Pande et al. (2006) reported high
levels of resistance to this disease, with 21 accessions free
from the disease and 25 resistant. Chaudhary (2009)
showed that the varieties JG 315, Avrodhi, DCP 92-3, JG
74, BG 372 and KWR 108 were reported as being resis-
tant against fusarium wilt (Basandrai et al., 2011).
A number of varieties moderately resistant to dry root
rot have been identified (Pande et al., 2006; Kaur et al.,
2008). Pande et al. (2006) reported six accessions
with moderate resistance to dry root rot among 211
accessions in the desi chickpea mini-core collection.
Under natural epiphytotic conditions, lines GL 84102,

4.8.2 Breeding chickpea for resistance
to insects and pests
Sharma (2004) evaluated 150 accessions of wild
chickpea for resistance to helicoverpa pod borer under
field and greenhouse conditions. Basandrai et al. (2011)
reported that a large amount of germplasm, including
cultigens and wilds, was evaluated for resistance to pod
borer, and low to moderate levels of resistance were
reported, with line ILL 506 possessing a good level of
resistance (Pratap et al., 2002; Sharma et al., 2003). Few
resistance sources for leaf miner have been identified at
ICARDA (Malhotra et al., 1996).

4.8.3 Breeding chickpea for resistance
to plant-parasitic nematodes
Greco and Di Vito (1993) reported valuable sources of
resistance to cyst nematode in C. bijugum , C. pinnatifidum
and C. reticulatum .
Some wild accessions have shown resistance to more
than one stress (Singh et al., 1994; Ahmad et al., 2005).
For example, ILWC 7-1 of C. bijugum showed resistance
to ascochyta blight, fusarium wilt, leaf miner, cyst nem-
atode and cold, and ILWC 33/S-4 of C. pinnatifidum to
ascochyta blight, fusarium wilt, seed beetle and cyst
nematode (Kumar et al., 2011).
Various authors (Jaiswal & Singh, 1989; Singh &
Ocampo, 1997; S. Singh et al., 2005; Kumar et al., 2011)
have shown that accessions of C. reticulatum potentially
can supply genes for high yield.