Fusarium Wilt of Chickpea and Pigeonpea Control

Symptoms

In chickpea, affected seedlings collapse and lie flat on the soil, while older plants show drooping leaves, dull green to yellow colour and sudden wilting, often in patches across the field. Splitting the stem near the base shows brown to black discolouration of the inner water-carrying tissue. In pigeonpea the plant wilts, dries and dies, often with a band of dark discolouration on one side of the stem and roots.

Damage

Fusarium wilt is one of the most damaging soil-borne diseases of chickpea and pigeonpea in India and can cause losses from 10 percent to total crop failure in heavily infested fields. The fungus survives in soil and seed for years, so once a field is infested it stays a problem. Wilting at the flowering and podding stage is especially costly.

Organic & cultural control

Treat seed with Trichoderma viride at about 4 grams per kg of seed, and apply Trichoderma enriched farmyard manure or vermicompost to the soil before sowing to suppress the fungus. Follow long crop rotation of at least 3 years with non-host cereals to starve the pathogen. Add well-rotted organic matter to build soil health. Remove and destroy wilted plants and avoid moving infested soil between fields.

Chemical control

There is no spray that cures a wilted plant, so management is by seed treatment and resistant varieties. Treat seed with a combination such as carbendazim plus thiram, or Trichoderma plus thiram, before sowing to protect against early infection. Soil drenching with a recommended fungicide around affected patches may slow spread. Always follow the product label for dose and instructions and consult your KVK or an agronomist before use.

Always follow the product label, the recommended pre-harvest interval, and your local KVK or agronomist. Pesticide approvals change, so verify before use.

Prevention

Grow wilt resistant varieties recommended for your area as this is the most effective and cheapest control. Use clean certified seed from a disease-free crop and treat it before sowing. Follow long crop rotation with cereals and avoid growing chickpea or pigeonpea repeatedly in the same field. Sow at the recommended time and depth, ensure good drainage, and remove and burn wilted plants.