Optimisation of the chemical control of ascochyta blight in chickpea
- 1 January 2006
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Australasian Plant Pathology
- Vol. 35 (6), 715-724
- https://doi.org/10.1071/ap06069
Abstract
Ascochyta blight, caused by Didymella rabiei, is the most devastating foliar disease of chickpea in southern Australia. As part of an effort towards developing disease management practices for susceptible cultivars, programs for timing fungicide applications were developed. The efficacy of chlorothalonil and mancozeb in suppressing ascochyta blight was evaluated in five field experiments conducted over 4 years. The results were variable; in some experiments disease was adequately suppressed (control efficacy >89%) whereas in other experiments, control efficacy was insufficient (PR 2 =0.937). Data recorded in the field experiments were then used as input into a series of simulations aimed at quantifying how several management approaches could reduce fungicide use. Results were analysed using multiple regression with dummy variables. Compared with continuous protection of the crop throughout the season, which required eight mancozeb or five chlorothalonil applications, using rain forecast to time sprays may enable a reduction in the number of sprays by up to 5.5 and 2.7 per season, respectively, hence, vastly reducing production costs. Initiating sprays after disease onset (based on monitoring) may enable a further reduction of 0.6 sprays per season, on average. Validation of the threshold amount in Australia for local cultivars and implementation of these strategies awaits examination in field experiments.Keywords
This publication has 16 references indexed in Scilit:
- Factors Influencing Transmission of Didymella rabiei (Ascochyta Blight) from Inoculated Seed of Chickpea Under Controlled ConditionsEuropean Journal of Plant Pathology, 2006
- Significance of Preventing Primary Infections by Didymella rabiei and Development of a Model to Estimate the Maturity of PseudotheciaPlant Disease, 2005
- Rational Management of Didymella rabiei in Chickpea by Integration of Genotype Resistance and Postinfection Application of FungicidesPhytopathology®, 2000
- Ascochyta blight of chickpea: Present status and future prioritiesInternational Journal of Pest Management, 1999
- Effects of leaf wetness duration, relative humidity, light and dark on infection and sporulation byDidymella rabieion chickpeaPlant Pathology, 1998
- Inter- and intranational spread of ascochyta pathogens of chickpea, faba bean, and lentilCanadian Journal of Plant Pathology, 1997
- Pulse production in Australia past, present and futureAustralian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 1997
- Airborne ascospores ofDidymella rabiei as a major primary inoculum for Ascochyta blight epidemics in chickpea crops in southern SpainEuropean Journal of Plant Pathology, 1996
- Evaluation of a World Collection of Chickpea Germ Plasm Accessions for Resistance to Ascochyta BlightPlant Disease, 1984
- Resistance in Chickpeas toAscochyta rabieiPlant Disease, 1981