Executive Summary : | Weed damage is a significant barrier to crop yield production, affecting crops like chickpea, which can suffer from 84% to 98% of yield loss. Chemical herbicides have been used to control weeds, but more herbicide-resistant weeds have evolved due to repetitive use. Post-emergence herbicides like metribuzin, sulfentrazone, and imidazolinone (IMI) have shown chlorosis, crop injury, and necrosis, leading to low stand establishment and yield loss. The development of herbicide-resistant crops is crucial to control weed growth and increase crop yield. IMI herbicide resistance is achieved through mutations in the acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAs) gene, which prevents herbicide binding and ensures enzymatic activity in plants like sunflower, barley, wheat, and soybean. Transcriptome analysis of chickpea cultivars identified 596 DEGs with 891 up and 705 down-regulated genes, with glutathione s-transferase, cytochrome P450, xyloglucan endotransglucosylase or hydrolase, glutamate dehydrogenase, methyl crotonoyl carboxylase, and thaumatin as candidate genes for further analysis of herbicide tolerance mechanisms. |