Evaluation of Cry IIa transgenic chickpea lines for resistance to Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) under controlled conditions

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of Cry IIa transgenic chickpea lines for resistance to Helicoverpa armigera using a cage technique. Results indicated that transgenic chickpea lines suffered significantly lower leaf damage as compared to non-transgenic lines. The arval survival and weight gained by the larvae was significantly reduced when H. armigera were fed on transgenic lines as compared to those fed on non-transgenic lines under glass house conditions. Across the seasons (2011-12 and 2012-13), the transgenic chickpea lines BS5A.2(T2) 19-1P2 and BS5A.2(T2) 19-2P1 exhibited high levels of resistance to H. armigera under laboratory conditions. Significant differences in grain yield were observed between transgenic and non-transgenic plants infested with H. armigera larvae. Since leaf damage was lower on transgenic chickpea plants, the dry matter weight, pod weight, seed weight and number of seeds formed were significantly more than on non-transgenic chickpea plants. In both the seasons, non-transgenic chickpeas yielded significantly lower compared to transgenic chickpeas.