Inheritance of resistance to Fusarium wilt in pigeonpea {Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.}

Abstract

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium udum Butler is a common and destructive disease of pigeonpea. The development and use of resistant cultivars remains the most effective, economical and environmentally sound strategy for disease control. The objective of this study was to determine the inheritance of resistance to Fusarium wilt in pigeonpea, which remains unknown, and to assess whether its genetic control would differ between African and Indian germplasm. Two resistant lines; one from African germplasm (ICEAP00040) and another of Indian origin (ICP8863) were used to make three different crosses (NPP670 x ICEAP00040, ICPL87091 x ICP8863, and KAT60/8 x ICP8863). Tests of F1, F2 and backcross generations under controlled conditions indicated involvement of one recessive gene in ICEAP0040 and 2 recessive genes in ICP8863. Our results not only suggest a greater mechanistic complexity of the genes but also provide an insight into the possible differences in genetic basis of resistance to Fusarium wilt between cultivars in different regions, which will need to be considered in future breeding programs.