Diseases in Legume Crops: Next Generation Breeding Approaches for Resistant Legume Crops, CRC Press, ss.233-256, 2023
Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a climate-resilient and cool-season legume crop with wide range of genetic diversity in the genus that is valuable sources for agronomical traits including biotic stresses. Grass pea is a rich source of protein and calories and provides food and nutritional security to many low-income communities of different underdeveloped regions of the world. It is a hardy and climate smart crop under the changing scenario of climate change and option for agroecosystems. Stigma of neurotoxin (β-ODAP) major constraint in grass pea production is known as β-N-oxalyl-l-α,β-diaminopropionic acid causing neurolathyrism in humans and animals. Grass pea is better tolerance to variable levels of abiotic and biotic stresses as compared to other legumes crops, although it is well-adapted to a number of biotic stresses but still considerable yield losses (approx. 15–25%) due to biotic stress. Due to underutilized and neglected crop, negligible genetic resources utilized and developed grass pea genotype resistant against diseases and pests. This chapter reviews the present status of economic importance, genetic transformation, and genetic and genomic resources for developing biotic stress-resistant grass pea genotypes.