Chickpea Fusarium Wilt: A Major Constraint to Chickpea Production and Its Management

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is the third most important pulse crop in the world and India is the single largest producer accounting for 65% of the production. Fusarium wilt, caused by the soil borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris has become a major factor limiting chickpea production worldwide. Development and use of high-yielding cultivars resistant to the prevalent pathogen races in a given area is the single most practical and cost-efficient management for the disease. Use of healthy certified seed, sanitation and cropping practices, seed treatment with chemicals and biocontrol agent also help in managing the wilt in chickpea. Molecular tools available for characterization and monitoring of F. oxysporum f.sp. ciceris populations would help in the implementation efficiency of these disease control measures. Improvement of these practices may be further realized by combining slow-wilting cultivars within an integrated management strategy.