Evaluations of Different Seed-Dressing Fungicides with Chickpea Varieties for the Management of Fusarium Wilt in Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia

Abstract

The disease fusarium wilt is a serious and infectious year-round disease in chickpea-growing areas and causes huge chickpea yield losses. Thus, this research study was initiated with the objective of evaluating different seed-dressing fungicides with different chickpea varieties for the management of fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris) in Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia. Field experiment was conducted in hot spot areas of two locations using the material: two moderately resistant and one local (susceptible check) chickpea varieties with three commercially available seed-dressing fungicides (Apron Star, Noble, and Thiram). Treatments were arranged factorially in the RCB design with three replications. Results depicted that moderately resistant Mitk variety has significantly reduced disease pressure and gives better yield as compared to Arerti and local chickpea varieties. Even the disease pressure of fusarium wilt was lower in the Mitk variety followed by Arerti, and hence, its incidence and area under the disease progress curve reveal 6.23% and 292.1%-day, which was far apart by 17% and 873%-day, respectively, from Arerti. In case of the local chickpea variety, it was highly infected and its seed yield (0.4 t/ha) was lowered almost by half from the Mitk variety. Despite seed-dressing fungicides showed insignificant difference in both incidence and area under the disease progress curve, Thiram seed-dressing fungicides followed by apron star on Mitk variety indicates reasonable yield increment in both locations. Hence, integration of Mitk chickpea variety with the corresponding Thiram seed-dressing fungicides followed by Apron Star was advisable to manage fusarium wilt disease.