Inheritance of fusarium wilt resistance in pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millspaugh] Karimi R.1, Owuoche James O.2,*, Silim S. N.2 1Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), P.O. Box 340, Machakos, Kenya. 2Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soil Science, Egerton University, P.O. Box 536, Egerton, Kenya. 3International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), P.O. Box 39063, Nairobi, Kenya. *Corresponding author's e-mail: owouche@yahoo.com.
Abstract Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium udum Butler is the most important disease of pigeonpea worldwide. Objectives of this study were to determine the mode of genetic inheritance of Fusarium wilt resistance in different pigeonpea accessions and to determine different genes governing resistance that exists in pigeonpea accessions. F1, F2 and backcross populations were developed by crossing resistant accessions (ICEAP 00554, ICEAP 00557) with susceptible accessions (KAT 60/8, ICP 7035). The Parents, F1, F2, backcrosses (BC1F1 and BC2F1) populations were evaluated for Fusarium wilt resistance. F2 populations derived from ICEAP 00554 × KAT 60/8, ICEAP 00557 × KAT 60/8, ICEAP 00554 × ICP 7035, ICEAP 00557 × ICP 7035 crosses exhibited a 3:1 ratio which indicated that resistance to Fusarium wilt was under the control of major gene, however, a recessive gene was detected from ICP 7035 × KAT 60/8 cross. The genes detected could be valuable for wilt resistance breeding. Top Key words Pigeon pea, Fusarium udum, isolate. Top |