Transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) chickpea: India’s most wanted genetically modified (GM) pulse crop

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is grown widely in India because the seeds are rich source of protein for the vegetarian population of country. However, chickpea cultivation is declining over the period of time due to heavy incidences of pests and diseases.Helicoverpa armigera is a major pest in the field and non-availability of resistant varieties lead to heavy losses of yield per year. Crop management practices such as application of bio-pesticides, insecticides and integrated pest management are less effective to control this devastating pest. Breeding for development of resistant lines is restricted by lack of resistant sources within the gene pool. Therefore, application of gene technology for chickpea improvement appears to be appropriate approach for development of Helicoverpa resistant lines. Genetic transformation of chickpea using various versions of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal genes have been carried out and found to confer resistance to pod borers in the laboratory bioassays. The most preferred genetically modified (GM) chickpea for field release is pyramided lines having two or more Bt genes with diverse mode of action for effective management ofHelicoverpa. Here we discuss about the rationale for generation of Bt chickpea to enhance production. Key words: Chickpea, Bacillus thuringiensis, genetically modified (GM) pulse crop.