A Seedling Root Dip-Based Technique to Screen Chickpea for Resistance to Fusarium Wilt Disease

Fusarium wilt poses a significant threat to chickpea cultivation, causing substantial yield losses. Developing resistant chickpea varieties is a crucial strategy for managing this devastating disease. Screening a large number of germplasm and breeding lines against the pathogen is necessary to achieve this goal. In this context, the seedling root dip method has emerged as an effective technique to differentiate between resistant and susceptible chickpea genotypes. This method offers the advantages of screening a large number of lines within a short time frame and limited space. Another critical aspect of breeding for disease resistance is the rapid and accurate identification of the pathogen. Traditional pathogen detection methods are labor-intensive and time-consuming. This chapter presents a detailed protocol for the seedling root dip method, enabling the screening of chickpea genotypes against Fusarium oxysporum. Additionally, a rapid approach utilizing ITS primers for identifying the pathogen is discussed, providing a precise and expedient tool for disease resistance breeding efforts.