Table 5.2 Chickpea variety disease reactions
| VARIETY | Ascochyta blight foliage | Ascochyta blight pod | Botrytis grey mould |
|---|---|---|---|
| DESI | |||
| Ambar | R | S | S |
| Genesis 509 | R | S | MS |
| Howzat | S | S | MS |
| Neelam | R | S | S |
| PBA Maiden | MR | S | S |
| PBA Slasher | R | S | S |
| PBA Striker | MR | S | S |
| KABULI | |||
| Almaz | MS | S | S |
| Genesis 079 | R | S | S |
| Genesis 090 | R | S | S |
| Genesis 114 | MS | S | S |
| Genesis Kalkee | MS | S | S |
| PBA Monarch | MS | S | S |
Disease tolerance:
R = resistant
MR = moderately resistant
MS = moderately susceptible
S = susceptible
VS = very susceptible
Table 5.3 Chickpea disease guide summary
| Disease | Organisms | Symptoms | Occurrence | Chickpea | Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascochyta blight | Phoma rabiei (formerly known as Ascochyta rabiei) | Pale brown lesions on leaves, stems and pods. Lesions may have a grey centre containing small black specks which are the fruiting bodies. Infected stems wither and break | Occurs in all regions. Affects both kabuli and desi types. Most severe in spring. | Chickpea, most pulses, including lentil and faba bean | Seed dressing, foliar fungicides, rotation, avoid susceptible varieties, avoid early sowing |
| Grey mould | Botrytis cinerea | Poor emergence and death of young plants. Soft rot at the base of the stem. Grey mould growth on leaves, stems and pods. Lodging of plants in dense crops. Discolouration of seed with grey/ black mould | Occurs in all regions. Affects both kabuli and desi types. Most severe in wet seasons. Dense crops are more likely to be affected than thin crops. | Most pulses, oilseeds and broadleaf weeds | Seed dressings, lower plant densities, avoid early sowing |
| Sclerotinia | Sclerotinia sclerotiorum | Scattered dead plants within a crop. Cottony white fungal growth on the lower stems of dead plants. Soft rot and white mould on stems and pods | Occurs in all chickpea growing regions. Most severe in wet seasons where chickpea is planted in fields recently cropped to chickpea. | Kabuli chickpea, most pulses | Crop rotation. (Seed dressings of no benefit) |
| Damping-off | Pythium spp. | Poor crop establishment under wet conditions. Seed rotting in the ground. Sudden death of young seedlings | Problem in all regions, particularly in soils that become very wet just after sowing. More severe on kabuli than desi chickpea | Kabuli chickpea, most pulses | Seed dressings, avoid poorly drained soils |
| Phytophthora | Phytophthora megasperma | Plants suddenly wither and die, particularly after water logging. Dark brown to black discolouration of the tap root | Most serious disease in northern Australia. May be a problem in poorly drained soils in southern Australia under wet conditions | Chickpea, lucerne | Resistant varieties |
| Phoma blight | Phoma medicaginis | Blackening of the stem near ground level. Dark, tan coloured lesions on leaves, stems and pods | Common in most chickpea growing regions. Most severe in wet seasons | Most legumes | Crop rotations |
| Root lesion nematode | Pratylenchus thornei and Pratylenchus neglectus | Ill-thrift, lack of branching of root system, small dark stripes on roots | Favoured by wheat in rotation with chickpea, medic and vetch | Wheat, chickpea, medic, vetch, narbon bean | Crop rotation (predictive soil test available) |
| Alfalfa mosaic virus | Virus | Tip necrosis | Occurs in all chickpea growing areas | Wide host range including most pulses, some horticultural plants and weeds | Virus-free seed Resistant varieties |
| Cucumber mosaic virus | Virus | Yellowing, stunting, offshoots | Prevalent in chickpea growing regions | Very wide host range, including most pulses, pastures, horticultural crops and weeds | Virus-free seed Resistant varieties |
| Beet western yellows virus | Virus | Yellowing, stunting, offshoots | Occurs in all chickpea growing areas | Very wide host range, including most pulses, brassicas and weeds | Managing aphids and weeds, resistant varieties |
DAMPING-OFF OF CHICKPEAS AND OTHER ROOT DISEASES
Diseases in Pulses: Faba Beans