CHARACTERIZATION OF SOIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS CONDUCIVE FOR CHICKPEA WILT CAUSED BY FUSARIUM OXYSPORUM F. SP. CICERIS (PADWICK) AND ITS MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Chickpea wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris (Padwick) is a devastating disease of the chickpea crop throughout the world, wherever, chickpea is grown. Soil / environmental factors play an important role for wilt disease development. For successful and economical management characterization of soil and environmental factors conducive for wilt disease development and identification of resistant sources within available germplasm against wilt disease are very important. Three hundred and eighteen genotypes obtained from various sources were evaluated under sick plot conditions against chickpea wilt disease incidence. The experiment was planted in augmented design with single replication, repeated twice during the years of 2010-11 and 2011-12. Natural inoculums was relied upon for infection based upon a disease rating scale and area under disease progressive curve, only three lines/varieties (5006, k021-10 and k035-10) were found to be highly resistant during the both years of investigation. Most of the lines/varieties were moderately resistant to susceptible (21-50% Disease incidence). A significant co-relation of environmental/ soil variables (i.e. maximum and minimum air temperature, relative humidity, rainfall soil max. /min. temperature and soil moisture) with disease incidence was recorded on 40 chickpea lines. Maximum disease development occurred at temperature range of 23-28 . For the management of chickpea wilt disease fungicides and biological control agents were used both in vitro and glass house assay. In-vitro study showed that Carbendazim proved to be best among the fungicides, while among the bio-control agents Pseudomonas fluorescens was more efficient against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris. These treatments also proved effective in glass house by lowering the number of chickpea wilted plants.