Sources Of Resistance To Chickpea Vascular Wiltý

R. S. Malhotra, B. Bayaa, S. Kabbabeh and G. Khalaf, ý
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), ýAleppo P. O. Box 5466, Aleppo-Syria,
E-mail: B.Bayaa@cgiar.org

Abstract

Vascular wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris ýý(Padwick) Matuo & Sato, is an important disease affecting chickpea in almost all ýchickpea-growing areas around the world, but is more important in the Indian ýsubcontinent, Africa, and Latin America. Although healthy seeds, and crop ýrotations, help to control the disease, the best alternative is host-plant resistance. ýTo screen chickpea for resistance to vascular wilt we have developed a wilt-sick ýplot at ICARDA and screened a large number of chickpea germplasm and elite ýlines. Out of of 1037 lines (605 improved lines from ICARDA; 28 and 349 ýgermplasm lines from ICRISAT and ICARDA, respectively) screened during 1999 ýand 2003, a total of 110 (98 elite improved lines (Flip lines) developed at ýICARDA, and 12 lines from ICRISAT), maintained their high level of resistance ýduring the four years of testing. The resistant lines are from both desi and kabuli ýtypes. Most of these resistant lines have been shared with the national programs in ýchickpea-growing countries for further confirmation of their resistance under local ýconditions and for direct or indirect exploitation in breeding programs.ý