Screening of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L. major Harz) Genotypes from Diverse Agro-climatic Regions of Kashmir Valley against Root-rot Caused by Fusarium Solani

Abstract

Vicia faba is an annual legume crop, which plays an important role in the food security for humans and animals, and is widely adapted than other major legume crops, to severe climatic and weather conditions. However, its production is constrained by a variety of biotic factors. Diseases such as root rot significantly reduce faba bean yield. We evaluated 47 faba bean genotypes for yield and resistance to Fusarium root rot. Some genotypes exhibited both high yield and resistance to Fusarium root rot. The resistance reaction of genotypes was tested by screening the genotypes under greenhouse conditions. Heavy selection pressure (inoculum load) was put on the genotypes by spraying a spore concentration of 2×106 spores/ml. Out of forty-seven genotypes, seven genotypes were found resistant, twenty-six were intermediate and fourteen were susceptible to Fusarium solani. The percentage contribution of different characters towards divergence revealed that maximum contribution was from days to 50% flowering (14.5%), followed by pod length (12.4%), days to 80% maturity (11.4%), seed yield per plant (11.3%). Mahalanobis D² analysis grouped the genotypes into sixteen distinct clusters. Cluster I was largest among all the clusters containing eighteen genotypes, followed by cluster III having Seven genotypes, followed by cluster II, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX and X having 2 genotypes each, followed by XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV and XVI each have one genotype. Promising genotypes with resistance to root rot identified in the present study can serve as donors for transfer of root rot resistance into genotypes which are high yielding but are root rot susceptible.