Integrated management of fusarium wilt of chickpea

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important pulse crop grown all over India. Chickpea wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri is one of the major disease on chickpea in Northern Karnataka, which is soil and seed borne. Heavy inoculum in the soil and favorable environment condition results in the death of infected plant and therefore total yield loss. In this study, integrated management was conducted in both pot culture and in field with two antagonists, one botanical and one fungicide were studied against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri causing chickpea wilt. Pot culture studies found that seed treatment with Carbendazim 12% + Mancozeb 63% @ 2 g/kg of seeds + Trichoderma harzianum 4 g/kg of seeds + Curcuma longa rhizome extract (Turmeric) @ 150 ml/ kg of seeds gave minimum wilt incidence (1.46%), maximum wilt incidence was noticed in untreated control with 100 per cent wilted plants. Field studies found that seed treatment with Carbendazim 12% + Mancozeb 63% @ 2 g/kg of seeds + Trichoderma harzianum 4 g/kg of seeds + Curcuma longa rhizome extract (Turmeric) @ 150 ml/ kg of seeds gave minimum wilt incidence (1.46%) and maximum yield (10.34 q/ha) followed by seed treatment with Carbendazim 12% + Mancozeb 63% @ 2 g/kg of seeds. Bio agents Trichoderma harzianum and Bacillus sp. @ 4 g/ kg of seeds and aqueous plant extract of Curcuma longa (Turmeric) rhizome extract @ 150 ml/ kg of seeds were also significant in reducing wilt incidence and more yield as compared to control.