1. Collected & Edited by
K.NAGARAJAN
M.GOPI
TOPIC: ASCOCHYTA BLIGHT OF CHICK PEA

2. Introduction
Ascochyta blight (AB), caused by Ascochyta rabiei i
Grain yield and quality losses up to 100%
The occurrence of AB of chickpea has been reported
from 35 countries across six continents
 20 epidemics region occurred in Pakistan, India and
European countries.

3. TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum : Ascomycota
Class: Dothideomycetes
Subclass: Pleosporomycetidae
Order: Pleosporales
Family: Didymellaceae
Genus: Ascochyta
Spicies rabiei

4. Pathogen
Ascochyta rabiei (exists both as an
anamorph and a teleomorph(Didymella rabiei)
Mycelium
-pale cream colored mycelium
Fruiting bodies
Asexual- Pycnidia
Sexual- Pseudothecia
Spores
Asexual- Pycnidiospores
Sexual- Ascospores

6. Pseudothecia

9. EPIDEOMOLOGY
The disease is devastating in areas where cool (15-25oC)
and humid weather (>150 mm rainfall) prevails during the
crop season
Ascospores that land on chickpea leaves and stems need at
least two hours of surface moisture (dew) to germinate,
Spore releasing---April ,may

10. Leaf lesions

11. Stem lesions

12. Concentric rings in stem

13. FLOWER SYMPTOMS

14. Concentric rings in pods

15. Close-up of lesion with
pycnidial bodies arranged in
concentric rings.
Pod lesions

16. Ascochyta blight infected seeds.

17. Chickpea field with patches of plants blighted by Ascochyta rabiei.

18. Other hosts
Pea,Alfalfa,

19. MANAGEMENT
 Sow disease-free seed.
 Follow rotation crop.
 Intercrop with wheat, barley, mustard
 Seed treatment with Carbendazim @ 1g/kg of seed.
 Hot water seed treatment (52 C for 10 min) to lower the
infestation.
 Spray the crop with Mancozeb @ 2.5g/lit if noticed during the
growth period.
or Spray Wettable sulphur at the rate of 2.3g/lit of water.
 Resistant varities

20. References
1. Pande S, Sharma M, Gaur PM and Gowda CLL. 2010. Host Plant Resistanceto
Ascochyta Blight of Chickpea. Information Bulletin No. 82. Patancheru 502
324,Andhra Pradesh, India: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid
Tropics.40 pp. ISBN 978-92-9066-525-0.
2. ASCOCHYTA BLIGHT OF CHICKPEA M. V. Wiese, W. J. Kaiser,L. J. Smith,
F. J. Muehlbauer
3. http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/crop_protection/chickpea_disease/chickpea_2.html

21. Cool…