Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important legumes cultivated in the Mediterranean Basin and this crop is a good source of vegetal proteins in human and animal nutrition. However, chickpea is susceptible to different pathogens and in particular fungi belonging to the genus Fusarium responsible for plant wilt and/or crown or root rot, as in particular F. oxysporum f.sp. ciceris, F. solani f.sp. pisi and the recently discovered F. redolens and F. oxysporum f.sp. pisi. Currently the range of chickpea germplasm consists of a restricted number of varieties, since its genetic improvement was recently undertaken. Genetic improvement of chickpea is mainly directed to the selection of new varieties with high degree of resistance to the major pathogens (e.g. Fusarium spp. and Ascochyta rabiei). Therefore, the main objective of our investigation was to evaluate the resistance of 14 local chickpea ecotypes, from a local germplasm collection of ARSIAM, toward F. oxysporum f.sp. ciceris (Foc) race 0 and F. solani f.sp. pisi (Fsp). Preliminary results evidenced that four local chickpea ecotypes showed higher degree of resistance to Foc and/or Fsp in comparison with a commercial chickpea cultivar susceptible to both pathogens. This findings, supported by future biochemical and molecular investigations, could supply important knowledge to better understand molecular mechanisms of chickpea resistance toward fungal pathogens. Furthermore, our results could improve ecocompatible crop management in chickpea fields where severe attacks of these fungal pathogens occur as well as stimulate cultivation of local chickpea varieties by farmers.

SCREENING FOR RESISTANCE TO FUSARIOSIS OF LOCAL CHICKPEA (CICER ARIETINUM L.) ECOTYPES OF THE MOLISE REGION

DE CURTIS, Filippo;LIMA, Giuseppe
2014-01-01

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important legumes cultivated in the Mediterranean Basin and this crop is a good source of vegetal proteins in human and animal nutrition. However, chickpea is susceptible to different pathogens and in particular fungi belonging to the genus Fusarium responsible for plant wilt and/or crown or root rot, as in particular F. oxysporum f.sp. ciceris, F. solani f.sp. pisi and the recently discovered F. redolens and F. oxysporum f.sp. pisi. Currently the range of chickpea germplasm consists of a restricted number of varieties, since its genetic improvement was recently undertaken. Genetic improvement of chickpea is mainly directed to the selection of new varieties with high degree of resistance to the major pathogens (e.g. Fusarium spp. and Ascochyta rabiei). Therefore, the main objective of our investigation was to evaluate the resistance of 14 local chickpea ecotypes, from a local germplasm collection of ARSIAM, toward F. oxysporum f.sp. ciceris (Foc) race 0 and F. solani f.sp. pisi (Fsp). Preliminary results evidenced that four local chickpea ecotypes showed higher degree of resistance to Foc and/or Fsp in comparison with a commercial chickpea cultivar susceptible to both pathogens. This findings, supported by future biochemical and molecular investigations, could supply important knowledge to better understand molecular mechanisms of chickpea resistance toward fungal pathogens. Furthermore, our results could improve ecocompatible crop management in chickpea fields where severe attacks of these fungal pathogens occur as well as stimulate cultivation of local chickpea varieties by farmers.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11695/8540
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