A large number of accessions of Cicer species have been tested for resistance to aggressive isolates of the 3rd Italian pathogenic group of Ascochyta rabiei. Interesting levels of resistance were found in accessions of C. judaicum, C. bijugum and C. pinnatifidum; three of them (ILWC 76, ILWC 150, ILWC 186) showed double resistance to both Ascochyta blight and Fusarium wilt. Interspecific hybridizations C. arietinum x C. judaicum, C. arietinum x C. bijugum, C. arietinum x C. pinnatifidum were unsuccessfully tried. Foreign pollen germinated on the stigma and grew down through the style of flowers of C. arietinum 24 hrs after pollination. This suggested absence of interspecific incompatibility barriers at both the stigmatic and the stylar levels. Zygote formation was clearly observed 48 hours later. Embryo growth, evident until to the 3rd day after pollination, continued up to the 6th-7th day, when a globular embryo was noticed, but then the endosperm started to collapse. Occurrence of post-zygotic incompatibility barriers was demonstrated in all crosses.

Cited By (since 1996): 6Export Date: 25 August 2010Source: Scopus