International Testing of Chickpeas for Resistance to Ascochyta Blight

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) germ plasm lines resistant or tolerant to Ascochyta blight (Ascochyta rabiei (Pass.) Lab.) isolates prevalent in Syria and Lebanon were tested internationally between 1978 and 1982 to identify lines resistant to blight in other countries and to identify lines with broad-based resistance. A total of 112 lines including both desi and kabuli types were tested through the Chickpea International Ascochyta Blight Nursery (CIABN) in Algeria, Greece, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey. The number of resistant lines identified in each country ranged from four to 56. Four lines, ILC 72, ILC 191, ILC 3279, and ILC 3856, were resistant in eight of the 11 countries. The differential reaction of many lines tested in these countries indicates the presence of variability in A. rabiei.