Wilt of Gram

Fusarium wilt of chickpea

Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.ciceri

Symptom

• The disease can affect the crop at any stage.

• The field symptoms of wilt are dead seedlings or adult plants, usually in patches.
• At seedling stage, 3-5 weeks after sowing, whole seedlings collapse and lie flat on
the ground with dull green leaves and shrunken stem.
• Dark drown or dark discoloration of the internal stem tissues is visible.
• At adult stage, drooping of petioles, rachis and leaflet sand finally entire plant
occurs.

Favorable Conditions

Incidence is higher in warmer and drier climates.

 Pathogen characters

• 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 5 septate, fusoid and pointed at both ends.
• Chlamydospores are rough walled or smooth, terminal or intercalary, may be formed
singly or in chains.
 Prevention Measures :

• Always use disease free seed.

• Grow Resistant cultivars such as Bakhar-2011, Beetle-98, Balkasar-2000, Wanhar-
2000, CM-98 and CM-08 .
• Practice soil solarization .
• Crop Rotation Avoid sowing when temperature is high.
• Proper balanced Fertilizers and irrigation should be followed according to the
schedule.
• Deep ploughing with the help of M.B. plough in summer season to destroy the fungus
in direct heat of the sun.
• Crop must be irrigated after spray
 Disease Monitoring :

• This disease is caused by soil-born fungus.

• This fungus remains alive in soil for many years.
• The affected plants first turn yellow, wither and finally dry up.
• The roots become dark colored resulting in complete rotting.
• Pest scouting the crop after 7 days.
 Seed treatment & Management :

• Trichodermaviride application @ 4g/ Kg seed reduces disease incident.

• Pseudomonas fluorescens, Trichodermaharzianum @2g/Kg of seed
• Seed treatment with carbendazim @ 2.5g/Kg of seed, Seed treatment with
thiram + carbendazim @ 1g/Kg of Seeds or carboxin+ thiram @ 3g/Kg of
Seed .
• Ridomil (metalaxyl), Cabrio Top (metiram), Prevent and difenoconazole
@ 2.5 ml/ litre of water, Intracol @ 5 g/litre of water are also good for the
control of gram wilt
Disease Cycle