Assessment of Ascochyta blight resistance in chickpea breeding lines for different agro-climatic zones of Ukraine

The aim of this study was to assess the resistance of newly developed chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) breeding lines to Ascochyta blight (Ascochyta rabiei) in field conditions in Ukraine. The study addresses the need for disease-resistant chickpea varieties to expand growing areas and improve the sustainability of legume production. Field trials were conducted in Kharkiv (Elitne), Poltava (Ustymivka), and Vinnytsia (Bokhonyky) regions, representing different agroclimatic zones of Ukraine, during 2019–2021. Twenty-six improved chickpea breeding lines of different origins (individual selections and crosses) from the National Center for Plant Genetic Resources of Ukraine (NCPGRU) were tested. The trials were conducted under natural infection in forest-steppe and steppe zones. Resistance to Ascochyta blight was assessed on a scale of 1 to 9 (1 = highly resistant; 9 = fully susceptible). Variations in regional disease pressure allowed for simultaneous assessment of genotype resistance and pathogen aggressiveness. New hybrid material demonstrated resistance to ascochyta blight, higher than parental pairs. Lines L 261-18, CIR 289-18, and L 272-18 demonstrated stable or regionally resistance and have been registered as sources for breeding. The level of ascochyta blight infection varied significantly, both between genotypes and study locations underscoring the importance of multi-site testing. Chickpea lines that demonstrated stable resistance to Ascochyta blight are promising candidates for breeding resistant varieties. These results support the expansion of chickpea cultivation in Ukraine and contribute to sustainable crop rotation strategies in disease-prone conditions.