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Disease Note. Wilt of Chickpea in Tunisia Caused by Verticillium albo-atrum. H. M. Halila, Food Legume Laboratory, I.N.R.A.T., 2080 Ariana. M. M. Harrabi, Plant Breeding Laboratory, I.N.A.T., 42 Avenue Charles Nicolle, Tunis, Tunisia. Plant Dis. 71:101. Accepted for publication 1 October 1986. Copyright 1987 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-71-0101E. Routine surveys of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) production areas in
northern Tunisia showed a yearly increase in the incidence of wilt.
Although wilt of chickpea in North Africa and Asia is usually caused by
Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. emend. Snyd. & Hans. f. sp. ciceri,
wilted plants from 64% of the infested fields in Tunisia were positive for
Verlicillium albo-alrum Reinke & Berth. Pathogenicity was confirmed
by the water and pot culture methods developed by Nene et al (2).
Symptoms included yellowing of the lower leaves, followed by necrosis
and dropping of the leaflets and ultimately plant death; vascular
discoloration was associated. This is only the second report of V.
albo-atrum causing wilt in chickpea; the first was from southern
California in 1958 (1). Screening for resistance to this fungus is under
way, and resistant lines have already been identified. |