Dhanyakumar, O and Ranjitha, M and Yogendra, K and Revanayya, G and Sharma, H C and Taggar, G K and Murugan, M and Jaba, J (2025) Decoding plant resistance mechanism in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) against major insect pests: Decade of efforts and emerging directions. Plant Stress, 18. pp. 1-16. ISSN 2667-064X
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Abstract
Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) is an important food and nutritional security crop, widely cultivated in the semi-arid regions of Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. However, its productivity is hindered by various abiotic and biotic stress factors, including numerous insect pests that infest and damage the crop at all stages of development, both in the field and during post-maturity stage/ storage conditions. Host plant resistance (HPR) has emerged as a critical tool in the sustainable management of insect pests in pigeonpea as a vital legume crop. This review synthesizes key breakthroughs in understanding and applying HPR. It focuses on decades of development and recent advances in identifying resistant/tolerant pigeonpea genotypes and the mechanisms underlying their plant defense for major insect pests. Moreover, emphasis is placed on biochemical, morphological, and genetic traits conferring resistance to significant pests of pigeonpea. In addition, innovations in molecular breeding, genomics, and phenotyping are accelerating the development of pest-resistant genotypes, offering alternatives to chemical control and enhancing crop resilience. In this review, we explored emerging research directions, including multi-omics approaches, gene-editing techniques, and novel breeding techniques, thereby expanding our understanding of host-insect interactions and facilitating precision breeding research. This comprehensive review and opinion underscore the potential of HPR in integrated pest management (IPM) for pigeonpea and highlight future pathways for improving insect pest resistance and ensuring food security in pigeonpea-producing regions across the globe.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Divisions: | Global Research Program - Accelerated Crop Improvement |
| CRP: | UNSPECIFIED |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Crop wild relatives, Genetic improvement, Host plant resistance, Multi-omics |
| Subjects: | Mandate crops > Pigeonpea Others > Genetics and Genomics Others > Entomology |
| Depositing User: | Mr Nagaraju T |
| Date Deposited: | 05 Dec 2025 03:06 |
| Last Modified: | 05 Dec 2025 03:06 |
| URI: | http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/13399 |
| Official URL: | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/... |
| Projects: | UNSPECIFIED |
| Funders: | UNSPECIFIED |
| Acknowledgement: | All figures were created with BioRender.com. The authors acknowledge the pigeonpea breeding, pre-breeding, genomics team and Genebank-ICRISAT, Hyderabad. |
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