Fusarium wilt of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in North-west Algeria

Abstract

Fusarium oxysporum (Schletend: Fr) f.sp. ciceri (Padwick) ( FOC) is a soil fungus that is a permanent threat to the chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) causing wilt syndrome. During spring of 2005 to 2009 surveys at three agro-climatic zones of north-western Algeria through seven sites. The presence of the disease was found in all the 50 fields chickpea visited. The pathogen, F. oxysporum f.sp. ciceri was isolated from infected plants harvested. Three types of symptoms are observed on chickpea plants in fields: Symptom-yellowing, Wilting and Root rot- that appeared in very wet conditions on few fields from locality: Tighenif-Maoussa-Field station (Mascara region). The means of incidence and severity of the disease were high in all regions. From region of the Mascara; the incidence was estimated between 5 and 31% for stage 2 branching, of 10 to 60.2% for stage prebloom, and of 54 to 98.6% in maturation stage. It was higher in dry years. The severity varies from 2 to 3.56 for the three stages and the index of the disease was evaluated between 2.5 and 68.77%. The average rating was drawn between 7 sites, were incidence varies between 50 and 100%, severity from 1 to 2.88 and the disease intensity index drawn between 15 and 68.77%. F. oxysporum was the main species isolated from diseased parts of the plant with an average frequencies of 49 and 91% followed by Fusarium solani with 44 and 51%. F. culmorum F. equiseti, Sclerotium spp. and Rhizoctonia solani, are which part of the microflora isolated and could be responsible for various disease collar and root. The study of virulence on a susceptible cultivar that very susceptible to F. oxysporum f.sp. ciceri, ILC482 confirmed the presence of this special form.