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Chickpea fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri)

Chickpea fusarium wilt, caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri (Foc), is the most economically damaging disease of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) in India. ICAR-IIPR Kanpur and ICRISAT estimate national yield losses of 10-15% in normal years and 60-90% in heavily infested fields, equivalent to several hundred thousand tonnes of chana annually. Eight pathogenic races (0, 1A, 1B/C, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) are documented; races 1, 2 and 4 dominate central and peninsular India while race 0 is the principal threat in the North-West.

Pathogen and identification

Foc is a vascular wilt that occludes the xylem, producing a characteristic two-phase symptom expression:

  • Early wilt (25-50 days after sowing): seedlings collapse suddenly with drooping petioles and a green-to-straw yellowing; common with race 1
  • Late wilt (at flowering/podding): leaves yellow from the bottom upward, plants wilt over 1-2 weeks; common with races 2, 3, 4
  • Vascular discoloration: when the lower stem is split lengthwise, the xylem shows dark-brown to black streaks running continuously up from the collar
  • Patchy mortality in the field, with affected zones expanding year on year on wilt-sick land

Lab confirmation uses Komada's selective medium and pathotype-specific PCR primers developed by ICAR-IIPR.

Hosts and lifecycle

Foc survives 6+ years in soil as chlamydospores and on chickpea debris. It is also seed-transmitted at 5-10% in infested lots. Disease is favoured by soil temperatures of 22-27 deg C, moderate moisture and continuous chickpea cropping. Nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita, Heterodera ciceri) act as predisposing wounders.

Damage and economic impact

Wilt is the principal yield constraint in chickpea-growing tracts of Madhya Pradesh (Vidisha, Sehore), Maharashtra (Latur, Akola), Karnataka (Kalaburagi, Vijayapura), Telangana (Vikarabad) and Andhra Pradesh (Kurnool, Anantapur). Susceptible cultivars such as JG-62 historically lost 50-90% stand on sick plots; this drove the switch to wilt-resistant releases led by JG-11, JG-130, JAKI 9218, Vihar (BG 1108) and the kabuli KAK-2.

Management

  • Resistant varieties (first line): JG-11, JG-130, JAKI 9218, RVG 202, Vihar, KAK-2, Phule G-12 — selection should match the local Foc race
  • Crop rotation: 3-4 years without chickpea on wilt-sick fields; rotate with sorghum, pearl millet or mustard
  • Seed treatment: Trichoderma viride or T. harzianum at 4-6 g/kg seed, followed by Pseudomonas fluorescens at 10 g/kg; or chemical treatment with carbendazim 1 g + thiram 2 g per kg seed
  • Soil amendment: FYM 5 t/ha or vermicompost enriched with Trichoderma spp.; deep summer ploughing to expose chlamydospores
  • Late sowing avoidance: timely October-November sowing reduces seedling wilt; raised-bed/BBF improves drainage on heavy soils
  • Rogue and burn wilted plants before sporulation

The ICAR-IIPR recommended IPM package combines a wilt-resistant variety, bio-seed treatment and 3-year rotation.

See also: Bengalgram crop, JG-11 desi chickpea, KAK-2 kabuli, Chickpea dry root rot, Chickpea ascochyta blight, Chickpea pod borer.

Sources

  1. Wilt of chickpea — management. ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur.
  2. Fusarium wilt of chickpea. ICRISAT, Patancheru.
  3. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris factsheet. CABI Plantwise.