Sweet resistance against botrytis grey mould in chickpea

Despite significant nutritional value and vast expanse under chickpea cultivation, fungi‐borne diseases are the main limiting factors to increasing its yield. Botrytis grey mould (BGM) is a major foliar disease knocking chickpeas sideways. Thus, to compensate for economic yield loss, BGM‐resistant lines must be fished through an effective screening technique. In the present study, carbohydrates, mainly callose, were observed as vital actors in conferring varietal resistance. The study was done on disease reaction of BGM through microscopy for callose quantification in nine varieties and a susceptible check. The detection of noticeable callose deposits induced in leaf samples collected from artificially inoculated BGM sick plots was studied under a fluorescent microscope. Quantification of callose deposition was done using 1–5 rating scale where grades show intensity of callose accumulated. It was first report in chickpea to uncover the presence of callose in cellular regions by observing the blue fluorescence produced by aniline dye. Further characterization revealed varietal differences for callose deposits. Variations in endogenous sugar contents in the leaves during infection revealed the presence of complex dynamics of callose as a function of defence and resistance against infection. Based on this, PG 186, PG 5 and PG 6 showed significant amount of callose against the cell wall while H 208 scored minimum, thus in agreement with the use of this variety as a susceptible check.