BENGAL GRAM :: MAJOR DISEASE :: WILT

Wilt - Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris
Symptoms
The disease occurs at two stages of crop growth, seedling stage and flowering stage stage. The main symptoms on seedlings are yellowing and drying of leaves, drooping of petioles and rachis, withering of plants. In the case of adult plants drooping of leaves is observed initially in upper part of plant, and soon observed in entire plant. Vascular browning is conspicuously seen on the stem and root portion

Pathogen
The fungus produces hyaline to light brown, septate and profusely branched hyphae. Microconidia are oval to cylindrical, hyaline, single celled, normally arise on short conidiophores. Macroconidia which borne on branched conidiophores, are thin walled, 3 to 5septate, fusoid and pointed at both ends. Chlamydospores are roughwalled or smooth, terminal or intercalary, may be formed singly or in chains.
Favourable conditions

• High soil temperature (above 25˚C).
• High soil moisture.

Disease cycle
The disease is seed and soil borne. The primary infection is through chlamydospores in soil, which remain viable upto next crop season. The secondary spread is through irrigation water, cultural operations and implements.
Management

• Treat the seeds with Carbendazim or Thiram at 2 g/kg or Carbendazim 1 g+Thiram 1g/kg or treat the seeds with Trichoderma virideat 4 g/kg (106cfu/g) Pseudonomas fluorescens@ 10g/kg (106cfu/g) of seed.
• Apply heavy doses of organic manure or green manure.
• Grow resistant cultures like ICCC 42, H82-2, Avrodhi, Alok Samrat, Pusa-212, JG- 322, GPF-2, Haryanachana-1 and Kabuli chickpea like Pusa-1073 and Pusa-2024.