Advancements and strategies in chickpea breeding for enhanced resistance to fusarium wilt: A critical review

Abstract

Chickpeas are vital legumes providing protein for humans and livestock while enhancing soil fertility through nitrogen fixation. However, they face various biotic and abiotic stresses, with Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris (FOC) being a major fungal pathogen causing wilt and significantly reducing yields. Genetic resistance is a cost-effective strategy in breeding programs to combat this threat. Researchers have identified eight pathogenic FOC races (0, 1A, 1B/C, and 2–6), and molecular techniques facilitate resistance gene transfer from wild species to cultivars. Traditional breeding is slow and environmentally influenced, but advancements in genetic markers, QTL mapping, and omics technologies (transcriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics) accelerate progress. This review explores current methods to enhance Fusarium wilt resistance in chickpeas.