Asian Research Journal of Agriculture

Chickpea, a major legume crop widely grown in India, accounts for 75 per cent of the world’s production. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri causes wilt disease and most important soil-borne pathogen affecting its yield. The paper aims to explore screen chickpea varieties against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri. In phenotypic screening, fourteen chickpea varieties tested against Fusarium wilt data recorded during the seedling stage revealed that eight varieties were resistant, four were moderately resistant, two were moderately susceptible, and no variety was susceptible, whereas, during flowering, five varieties were resistant, three were moderately resistant, four were moderately susceptible, one was susceptible, and one was highly susceptible. During molecular screening, fourteen chickpea varieties differing in reaction to Fusarium wilt were screened using two SSR markers linked to wilt resistance, viz, TR 29 and TA 194. Both markers detected resistance and generated alleles of size 220 bp (TR 29) and 204 bp (TA 194). Results revealed that marker TR 29 amplified an allele at 220 bp and indicated the presence of resistant loci in eight varieties, whereas, specific band was absent in six varieties and were found susceptible. However, in the case of marker TA 194, amplification of allele at 204 bp indicated the presence of resistant loci in seven varieties, whereas, specific band was absent in seven varieties and they were found susceptible. Fusarium wilt is one of the most important biotic constraints of chickpea, affecting the crop both at the seedling and flowering stage, leading to high losses. Eight varieties have shown the amplification at 220 bp, which indicates that these show resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri, whereas six varieties were found susceptible.