Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

MANAGEMENT OF SOIL BORNE DISEASES OF CHICKPEA (CICER ARIETINUM L.) BY NATIVE TRICHODERMA SPECIES IN MANIPUR

W. Tampakleima Chanu, Bireswar Sinha, P.H. Sobita Devi and K.H. Pramesh

Abstract

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporium f. sp. ciceris (FOC) and collar rot (Sclerotium rolfsii) are the soil borne pathogens causing wilt complex which is a destructive disease of chickpea. Surveys on the incidence of wilt complex of chickpea were carried out at five different chickpea growing areas of Manipur during rabi season 2015-16. The diseases incidences were ranged from 5.07-10.22 per cent and highest was observed at Irengbam Maning Leikai (10.22 per cent) and lowest at Andro (5.07). Minimizing this disease can accomplished by careful crop management. The effect of two potent isolates viz., CAUNCIPM-36 and CAUNCIPM-45 of Trichoderma were evaluated against FOC and Sclerotium rolfsii under field and pot conditions with different treatments viz., seed treatment, soil treatment and combination of seed and soil treatments. It is observed that increase in germination percentage, reduction in disease incidence and increase in yield with the treatment combination of seed and soil treatment of isolate CAUNCIPM-36. The present findings revealed that biological control agents such as native Trichoderma can be a useful component of integrated wilt complex of chickpea.