DETECTION OF RESISTANT SOURCES FOR COLLAR ROT DISEASE IN CHICKPEA GERMPLASM

Ninety-eight chickpea germplasm accessions received from International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Syria and NARC, Pakistan were evaluated under greenhouse conditions where temperature, ranged from 8-24°C and humidity was maintained above 80% by sprinkling fresh water at National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad, during the year 2006 to identify sources of genetic resistance against collar rot disease incited by the fungus Sclerotium rolfsii. The fungus was isolated from diseased chickpea plants present in experimental fields, purified and maintained on PDA at 4°C for further screening process. Mass culture of the pathogen was prepared on wheat grains and used according to the procedure described by Sugha et al., (1991). Out of 98 germplasm accessions only 5 genotypes viz., FLIP 97132C, FLIP 97-85C, FLIP 98-53C, ILC -5263 and NCS 9905 exhibited highly resistant response to disease while 9 genotypes viz., FLIP 96-153C, FLIP 97-129C, FLIP 97-172C, FLIP 97-185C, FLIP 98-227C, FLIP 98-107C, FLIP 98-230C, ILC-182 and NCS 9903 displayed resistant reaction. Twenty five genotypes displayed moderately resistant to tolerant response while the remaining were susceptible to highly susceptible to this disease. These resistant sources can further be exploited in breeding program for the development of disease resistant commercial cultivars.