IDENTIFICATION OF NEW QTL CONFERRING RESISTANCE TO ANTHRACNOSE (ASCOCHYTA RABIEI) IN A RIL POPULATION OF CHICKPEA

Ascochyta blight (AB) is a consistent problem affecting large growing areas of chickpea in all countries where this crop is cultivated. This disease is capable of causing large yield losses under conducive environmental conditions. To characterize the genetics of resistance to AB in chickpea, a population consisting of 77 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from an inter-specific cross of Cicer arietinum (FLIP84-92C, resistant parent) x Cicer reticulatum Lad. (PI 599072, susceptible parent) was used. Each RIL and the parents were inoculated with blight spores by spraying. The RILs were scored for disease reactions under greenhouse conditions at 20 degrees C in a 12 h photoperiod. A linkage map was constructed using RAPD markers. Eleven linkage groups were obtained, of which three were small. The map spanned 889.1 cM with an average marker density of 10.1 cM. Two QTL were detected on linkage groups 1 and 4, which together explained 31% of the total phenotypic variation for AB resistance. These markers can improve precision of molecular breeding in this population.