Disease Note

Pathogenic Variability and Race Establishment of Ascochyta rabiei in Syria and Lebanon. M. V. Reddy and S. Kabbabeh, International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), P. O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria. Plant Disease 69:177, 1985. Accepted for publication 25 October 1984. Copyright 1985 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-69-177f.

Ascochyta blight (Ascochyta rabiei (Pass.) Lab.) is a major disease of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in Syria and Lebanon.  During the 1981–1982 growing season, 50 isolates of the fungus were collected from farmers' fields and experimental plots in Syria and Lebanon.  Based on disease reaction of six chickpea cultivars (ILC 249, ILC 1929, ILC 3279, ICC 1903, ICC 3996, and F8), six races were established.  ILC 1929 was susceptible to all races, whereas ICC 3996 was resistant to all races except race 6.  The more virulent races originated from resistant cultivars grown at experimental sites; the less virulent ones came from susceptible cultivars grown by the farmers.  Two races and one biotype of A. rabiei have been reported from India, but our study reveals greater variability in A. rabiei in Syria and Lebanon.

References: Vir, S., and Greqal, J. S. Indian Phytopathol. 27:524, 1974.