Association of Soil Particles with Seeds and Three Pathogens of Chickpea in California. Robert D. Raabe, Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Berkeley 94720. Plant Dis. 69:238-239. Accepted for publication 10 September 1984. Copyright 1985 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-69-238.

A root rot of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) in an experimental planting in the Salinas Valley of California was determined to result principally from infection by Macrophomina phaseolina. Pythium ultimum and Rhizoctonia solani also were isolated. Because the field only had a history as grass pastureland, seed was suspected as the source of the pathogens. No pathogens were isolated from the seed, but small clumps of soil the size and shape of the seed, and found in seed lots, did contain these fungi and successfully served as inoculum in greenhouse inoculations.

Keyword(s): garbanzo, gram.