**1. Introduction**

Chickpea (*Cicer arietinum* L.) is a self-pollinating, annual diploid (2n = 2x = 16) species with a genome size of 738 Mb [1]. It is also referred to as gram, Bengal gram, Egyptian pea, garbanzo, or garbanzo bean [2]. It encourages biological nitrogen fixation, which boosts soil fertility. The family Fabaceae (Leguminosae), subfamily Faboideae (Papilionaceae), and tribe Cicereae make up the taxonomic hierarchy of chickpeas. There are nine annual species and roughly 34 perennial wild species [3]. The only annual species that is grown commercially is *Cicer arietinum* [4,5].

There are two varieties of grown chickpea: Kabuli and Desi. The Desi (microsperma) varieties of plant contain thick seed coats, pink blooms, and stems that are anthocyaninpigmented [6], while the Kabuli (macrosperma) varieties of plant have white blooms, whiteor beige- colored seeds with a ram's head shape, a smooth seed surface with a thin seed coat and an absence of anthocyanin coloration on the stem [5]. Every year, more than 2.3 million tons of chickpeas are imported to supplement the needs of many nations of the world that are unable to produce a large enough quantity to satisfy their domestic demand [7]. The top exporters are Australia, Argentina, and Canada. The Kabuli variety of chickpea is grown extensively in West Asia, North Africa, North America, and Europe [7].

**Citation:** Yadav, R.K.; Tripathi, M.K.; Tiwari, S.; Tripathi, N.; Asati, R.; Patel, V.; Sikarwar, R.S.; Payasi, D.K. Breeding and Genomic Approaches towards Development of Fusarium Wilt Resistance in Chickpea. *Life* **2023**, *13*, 988. https://doi.org/10.3390/ life13040988

Academic Editors: Hakim Manghwar and Wajid Zaman

Received: 7 March 2023 Revised: 27 March 2023 Accepted: 29 March 2023 Published: 11 April 2023

**Copyright:** © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

Chickpea seeds are nutrient-dense foods that have a high protein content and include dietary elements such as calcium, iron, and phosphorus [8]. The seeds include modest amounts of thiamin, vitamin B6, magnesium, and zinc, as well. They are beneficial in the management of various serious human diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and digestive disorders [9,10]. Excluding sulfur-containing amino acids, chickpea seeds contain several important amino acids. On the surface, chickpea grains contain: 17.1% protein, 60.9% carbs, 5.3% fats, 3% minerals, and 3.9% crude fiber [11]. The measurement of free proline levels is a helpful indicator for assessing plant physiological condition and stress [12]. Despite having just trace levels of lipids, chickpea contains unsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic and oleic acids [13]. Essential sterols, viz., stigmasterol, campesterol, and sitosterol, are also found in chickpea oil [14]. Despite these benefits, numerous biotic factors, such as Fusarium wilt and Ascochyta blight diseases and the insect pest known as the pod borer, along with abiotic challenges, such as drought, salinity, and heat, have a significant influence on yields of chickpea [15]. By alleviating these challenges, chickpea productivity can be increased. While efforts have been made using an array of conventional methods [16–18], there is significant potential for advancement when they are combined with molecular methods, such as genomics-assisted breeding [19,20]. Chickpea breeding aims to increase production by pyramiding genes for drought, cold, salinity, fungal, and pod borer resistance / tolerance into superior chickpea genotypes [21].

Since chickpeas are self-pollinated, the target feature, i.e., wilt resistance, may be easily incorporated in the desired genotype after successful introgression [22]. Backcross, recombination breeding, and other traditional approaches are equally effective in developing cultivars with wilt resistance [23]. Several Fusarium wilt (FW) resistant donors and cultivars have been identified and released in chickpea as a result of straightforward field screening and selection under wilt-diseased plots [24]. Numerous crosses may be generated to develop segregating populations, which is a crucial prerequisite for undertaking a successful crop improvement program [25]. However, the mapping of populations in chickpea for the purpose of identifying targeted genes and constructing linkage maps is challenging due to the requirement of large numbers of plants in the mapping population [26,27]. To overcome these challenges, researchers are using advanced breeding technologies to identify targeted genes and the mechanisms of their interaction with each other or with environmental conditions [28]. The combination of modern approaches with traditional breeding technology is useful in the analysis of the mechanism of Fusarium wilt resistance, as well. The prime goal of traditional breeding in legumes is to increase yield.

As a result, modern breeding techniques can be employed to enhance crop yields [29]. However, this notion has begun to change in the last decade due to improved novel techniques and the associated decreasing cost [24]. As a result of the crop's economic importance, research on chickpea genomics has recently surged, and a wealth of genomic materials, including molecular markers and linkage maps, ESTs, and NGS-based transcriptomes, have become readily available [28].

Among advanced technologies, marker-assisted selection (MAS) has helped in targeting desirable genes [30]. Markers have demonstrated their role in enhancing selection efficiency and creating novel cultivars [31,32]. Recently, the integration of several "omics" methods has been developed into effective solutions for plant systems with the development of superior cultivars [33,34]. In order to address a variety of biological concerns, second-generation sequencing [35–37] is currently extensively employed. The genetic resources for chickpeas have, however, significantly enhanced in recent years with the applications of next-generation sequencing initiatives and their application in genomics research [38–40]. The current review aims to summarize all the advancements made, obstacles encountered thus far, and prospects for future advancements in chickpea Fusarium wilt resistance.

#### **2. Fusarium Wilt**

Fusarium wilt, caused by *Fusarium oxysporum* f. sp. ciceri, is important due to its severe effects on the yield of chickpea [41,42]. It is most common in hot, dry regions and can result in annual output losses of up to 10% to 15%, with epidemics leading to yield losses of up to 100% [43,44]. According to Verma et al. [23], it has eight different types of pathogenic races and pathotypes, which may be a reason for its pathogenic diversity. Based on their ability to produce unusual symptoms, the races are categorized. Major plant symptoms associated with Fusarium wilt disease infection (Figure 1) include yellowing and wilting [45]. The ability of the races to evoke separate reactions that result in two different sorts of symptoms—yellowing and wilting—sets them apart from one another. More dangerous than yellowing syndrome is with erring syndrome [46].

**Figure 1.** Fusarium wilt-infected chickpea plants.

In six continents, 32 countries are affected by chickpea wilt [47]. Butler originally described this disease in India in 1918, but it was not until Padwick accurately identified its cause in 1940 that it was fully understood [48]. Different levels of yield losses have been documented in chickpea due to FW (40% [49] and 77–94% [50]). In the case of "late wilt", dropping petioles and leaf yellowing symptoms appear during the podding stage, resulting in yield losses of 24–65 percent. The yellowing pathotype of *F. oxysporum* f. sp. ciceris causes a disease condition in chickpeas that is comparable to that of *F. redolens* (*FOC*). Because it is challenging to distinguish between *Fusarium redolens* and *F. oxysporum* using morphology-based diagnosis, and because the two species affect chickpea in ways that are similar, the use of molecular techniques may be required in the efficient identification of the Fusarium pathotype in chickpea [50,51].

The amount of yield loss due to wilt disease in chickpea depends on the agro-climatic conditions of the region. Sometimes, the wilt disease becomes more dangerous, resulting in severe damage (Figure 2) and yield failure [52]. Fusarium wilt is a disease that spreads through the soil. It has an array of mechanisms of transmission, such as through contaminated plant wastes (leaf, root, and stem), soil and seeds, macroconidia, mycelium, and most frequently, chlamydospores [50,53].

The Indian subcontinent and areas where crops are cultivated in the spring and more regularly manifest under warm, dry growing circumstances are more troubled by Fusarium wilt [27]. Fungicidal seed coats provide protection against infection transmitted by seeds, but because the pathogen is persistent in soil, the best way to eradicate the infection is through host resistance. The pathogen gains access to the vascular bundles of the chickpea plants and blocks or lowers water intake to the foliage. The infected plants eventually wilt and die [28]. The causes include a buildup of fungus mycelium in the xylem and/or the production of toxins, host defense mechanisms such as the production of gels, gums, and tyloses, and vessel crushing brought on by the expansion of nearby parenchyma cells [54].

**Figure 2.** Sequence of Fusarium wilt infection in chickpea plants.
