1. WILT – Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceri
Symptoms
The disease occurs in seedling stage and flowering stage. Infected seedlings show yellowing, drying of leaves, browning of vascular bundles and finally wilting of plants.
Mode of Spread and Survival
The disease spreads through irrigation water and farm implements. The pathogen survives as chlamydospores in the soil and infected stubbles
Epidemiology
High soil temperature and high soil moisture favour the disease
Management
- Field sanitation
- Crop rotation with cotton or sorghum or cumbu
- Seed treatment with captan or thiram or T.viride @ 4 g/kg of seed
- Application of green manures or compost @ 12.5 tons/ha
- Grow resistant varieties like PPK 1, 2, ICCC 42, and P 621
2. ASCOCHYTA BLIGHT- Ascochyta rabiei
Symptoms
Infected leaflets show round or elongated lesions and brown spots which are surrounded by a brownish red margin. Under cool and wet climate, necrosis of the leaves and young buds can been seen with pycnidial formation in the blighted areas.
Mode of Spread
The pathogen spreads through air borne pycnidiospores and survive in the plant debris in soil and as externally and internally seed borne pathogen.
Epidemiology
High rainfall during flowering and night temperature around 100 C and day temperature of 200 C favour the disease
Management
- Field sanitation
- Inter cropping with wheat or barley or mustard
- Seed treatment with calixin @ 6 g/kg of seed
- Foliar spray with Bravo 1500 ml/ha or calixin 900 ml/ha
- Grow resistant varieties likeILC 72, 192, 201, 202, ICC 4200, 4248, and 5124
3. STUNT – Chick pea stunt virus
Symptoms
Affected plants are stunted and bushy with short internodes. The leaflets and stem are smaller with yellow, orange or brown discolouration. The characteristic symptom of stunt is phloem browning in the collar region.
Vector
The disease is transmitted by Aphids – Aphis craccivora
Epidemiology
Early sowing and wider spacing favour the stunt incidence
Management
- Roguing out the diseased plants and spraying with monocrotophos @ 500 ml/ha to manage the insect vectors