Integrated analysis of solvent-extractable secondary metabolites reveals multi-layered resistance to Helicoverpa armigera in chickpea crop wild relatives

Cultivated chickpea has limited resistance to the pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera, highlighting the need for novel resistance sources and defense-associated metabolites. We evaluated diverse chickpea crop wild relatives (CWRs), along with resistant and susceptible cultivated genotypes, under multi-location field conditions and laboratory bioassays. Several CWRs showed reduced oviposition, larval survival, feeding damage, and weight gain, indicating antixenosis and antibiosis. Multivariate analyses identified ICC 20209 (Cicer cuneatum), ICC 17318 (C. judaicum), and ICC 17152 (C. pinnatifidum) as highly resistant genotypes. GC-MS profiling revealed distinct hexane-extractable metabolite signatures, particularly enhanced 9-octadecenoic acid (oleic acid) and tetradecanoic acid (myristic acid). Molecular docking and dynamics indicated stable interactions between oleic acid and H. armigera GOBP2. Y-tube assays further demonstrated dose-dependent reduction in adult orientation. Collectively, these findings highlight CWRs as valuable reservoirs of bioactive metabolites and support metabolite-informed breeding and semiochemical-based strategies for sustainable H. armigera management.