Integrated Screening of Pigeonpea ( <scp> <i>Cajanus cajan</i> </scp> ) Germplasm for Yield Attributes and Fusarium Wilt Resistance Under Field and Artificial Conditions With Fusarium Wilt Linked SSR Marker

ABSTRACT Pigeonpea ( Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) is the second most important pulse crop, commonly known as arhar or tur , native to India, valued for its nitrogen‐fixing potential and high protein content. However, a major biotic constraint, Fusarium wilt (FW), which is caused by Fusarium udum Butler, causes severe yield losses across growing regions. Keeping this in view, the study focused on assessing genetic variability for yield parameters and identifying FW‐resistant genotypes through integrated field and artificial screening, supported by molecular validation through SSR markers. Fifty‐two diverse genotypes were assessed under field conditions for yield components and natural wilt incidence and further screened under pot culture using an artificial soil inoculation method. Results showed significant genotypic variation for all yield characters, suggesting ample scope for selection and genetic improvement. Based on the percent disease incidence (PDI), 10 genotypes were classified as resistant (0%–10%), 17 as moderately resistant (10.1%–30%) and 25 as susceptible (&gt; 30%). Among these, three genotypes, namely, AAUVT‐2007‐10, AAUVT‐13‐35 and AAUVT‐14‐02, exhibited complete resistance under artificial screening. Highly resistant and susceptible genotypes (10 each) were validated using 17 FW‐specific simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. A distinct polymorphism of 210 bp (resistant) and 190 bp (susceptible) alleles was detected using the marker ASSR‐363, providing preliminary molecular evidence of its association with wilt resistance. These results highlight potentially valuable resistant genotypes and suggest that ASSR‐363 may serve as a promising marker for future breeding efforts. While the findings support the initial validation of this marker for wilt‐resistant pigeonpea improvement, further large‐scale and multienvironment studies are needed to establish its robustness and broader applicability in sustainable disease‐management programmes. However, further research is needed to confirm the results by testing a large number of FW‐responsive pigeonpea genotypes.