Induced defense dynamics in plant parts is requisite for resistance to Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) infestation in chickpea

Helicoverpa armigera is the most serious insect pest in chickpea that causes significant yield losses due to its feeding on vegetative (leaves) and reproductive (developing pods and seeds) parts of plants. The present aim of study was to explore response dynamics of induced defence mechanism in leaves, podwall and seeds of ten chickpea genotypes (ICC 506, ICCV 10, ICC 10393, 5283, RSG 963, GL 25016, GL 26054, ICCL 86111, ICC 3137, L 550) after insect infestation. Two chickpea genotypes namely ICC 3137 and L 550 were found to be highly susceptible to Helicoverpa armigera infestation due to higher leaf and pod damage in them as compared to rest of eight genotypes which are found to be considerably resistant due to lower damage. Insect infestation induced decreased activities of defensive enzymes such as peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), glutatione reductase (GR) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO), decreased free radical scavenging activities in terms of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), decreased contents of signaling molecules such as nitric oxide ((NO), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), reduced content of insect feeding behaviour regulating molecules such as total phenols, trypsin inhibitor and accumulation of membrane damage marker such as malondialdehyde (MDA) in leaves of ICC 3137 and L 550; decreased POD activity, nitric oxide content and H₂O₂ in podwall of L550; decreased SOD, GR, nitric oxide content and H₂O₂ in seeds of L550 resulted in aggravation of infestation induced oxidative stress and makes these genotypes more vulnerable to insect damage. The resistance of rest eight chickpea genotypes to insect infestation was due to the integrative effect of up regulated defensive components in leaves, podwall and seeds such as enhanced activities of CAT, POD, GR, PPO and PAL along with accumulation of H₂O₂` and total phenols in leaves, increased SOD, POD, GR and PPO activities along with increased contents of trypsin inhibitor and total phenols in podwall; increased SOD, GR, PPO activities and accumulated total phenols in seeds of resistant chickpea genotypes might be responsible for causing significant shift in oxidative status of these genotypes due to scavenging of free radicals, maintenance of membrane integrity and deterrent to insect feeding. Induced glycine betaine after herbivory was found to be positively correlated with superoxide dismutase and trypsin inhibitors. H₂O₂ content was positively correlated with trypsin inhibitor, DPPH, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and total phenols in leaves and with FRAP, DPPH and total phenols in pod wall indicating that H₂O₂ might be stimulating the cascade that will be helping to scavenge free radical species and correlation with phenols and trypsin inhibitor indicated that it act as toxicant to insect feeding.