Studies on Genetic Enhancement of Productivity and Wilt Resistance in Chickpea Cicer arietinum L

Abstract

Chickpea with very low productivity is constrained by biotic and abiotic factors. Wilt newlinecaused by Fusarium oxysporum fsp ciceri results in significant yield losses. With the objective newlineof combining productivity and resistance to wilt, the present study used two different breeding newlineapproaches viz., mutation following hybridization and biparental mating in a carefully planned newlinecross Bheema x ICCV-10. Additionally, an innovative method of pollen based screening newline(pollen bioassay) for wilt resistance was adopted to enhance selection efficiency for wilt newlineresistance. Pollen bioassay is easy and cost effective alternative to molecular markers and newlinewilt sick plot screening (sporophytic assay). newlineMutations created better segregating population for productivity and its three newlineimportant related characters. The BIP population was comparable to F3. Biparental mating newlineand also irradiation shifted the nature of association towards a favorable side. Pods/plant and newlineseed weight was positively and significantly correlated in F3M2 and Bheema M3 populations. newlinePrincipal component analysis also indicated significant shift in the variation pattern in mutated newlinepopulations. The proportion of transgressive segregants was highest in F3M2 followed by newlineBheema M3, F3SSD, BIP and F3 populations. So the hypothesis that mutation following newlinehybridization proved to be true and useful in generating productive segregating population. newlineIn this study, resistant, susceptible parents and their combination (F1) could be easily newlinedifferentiated on the basis of pollen tube growth under the influence of Fusarium pathotoxin. newlineThe families identified as resistant/susceptible based on pollen bioassay behaved similarly newlineduring phenotypic assay also. Thus, pollen bioassay technique can be used as a co-dominant newlinemarker for selection of wilt resistance in chickpea. With hands on setting, one could screen at newlineleast 60-80 samples per day. Therefore, Pollen assisted selection is considered to be a newlinenoteworthy and promising future technology that can help accelerate the breeding efficiency newlinei