Chickpea wilt: status, diagnostics and management

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important pulse crop in all chickpea growing countries. It is affected by both biotic and abiotic stresses which lead to decline in production. Wilt disease caused by the fungus i.e., Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri (Padwick) is a destructive disease recording major productivity loss in all chickpea growing areas worldwide. Early wilting (77–94%) and late wilting (24–65%) are two stages of disease incidence. Symptoms observed during disease development includes, petioles and rachis drooping, base to upward yellowing and drying of leaves, browning in vascular bundles, withering and death of plants. In the era of molecular plant pathology, the precise detection and variability of pathogen is carried out by employing various markers. Management practices are employed for continuous checking for pathogen population and its progression. For sustainable production of chickpea, integrated disease management strategies are the possible solution by reducing the disease incidence. © 2019, Indian Phytopathological Society.