Genetic and Phyto-Morphological Diversity Analysis in the advanced breeding lines of Chickpea for Pod Borer (Helicoverpa armigera) Resistance Traits

The pod borer Helicoverpa armigera is a major constraint to chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) production worldwide, affecting the crop most severely during pod formation stage leading to reduced crop yield up to approximately 90% - 95 %. The objective of the current study is to find characteristics associated with resistance to pod borer infestation by analysing several morphological and phytochemical attributes in 200 advance breeding lines of chickpea and four checks. ANOVA elucidated the presence of significant difference among genotypes for all quantitative as well as qualitative traits. Traits such as the number of pods per plant, plant height, total antioxidant activity, and presence of trichomes were identified as key contributors to resistance. Cluster analysis based on Euclidean Distance revealed the categorization of genotypes into distinct groups based on their traits, allowing breeders to focus on specific groups for targeted breeding efforts. The study also emphasised the significance of phytochemical features in improving resistance to pod borer, such as trichome density, flavonoid concentration, and tannin content. Overall, this study concludes that exploring the wild progenitors and advanced progeny will help in increasing the diversity among cultivated chickpeas and help in developing resistant varieties in future.