SCREENING WILD CICER SPECIES FOR RESISTANCE TO FUSARIUM-WILT

Wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri, is the most widespre ad soilborne disease of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). In an attempt t o identify new sources of resistance to wilt, 102 accessions of six wi ld annual Cicer species were evaluated in the greenhouse. The isolate from central Italy used in this experiment has been characterized by u sing a set of chickpea differential lines. Highly resistant reaction t o wilt was shown by all accessions of C. bijugum and some of C. echino spermum, C. judaicum, C. pinnatifidum, and C. reticulatum. Both access ions of C. yamashitae were susceptible. This evaluation has helped to identify new and diverse sources of resistance to wilt for use in chic kpea breeding. Six accessions of C. bijugum (ILWC-64, -71, -73, -76, - 80, and -83), one accession (ILWC-186) of C. judaicum, and two accessi ons (ILWC-126, and -130) of C. reticulatum were free from wilt damage.