A Rapid Method for Screening and Chemical Control of Seed Rot and Collar Rot in chickpea
A rapid and reliable greenhouse method was developed to screen chickpeas for resistance to collar rot caused by Scleroaum rolfisii Sacc. Groundnut shells were superior to sorghum straw, sand-maize meal, and potato dextrose broth in supporting the growth and formation of sclerotia of the pathogen. Soil infested with sclerotial inoculum developed on groundnut shells was used to study the reactions of 12 chickpea cultivars to the collar rot pathogen. There were significant differences in their susceptibility to seed rot, damping off, and collar rot. Seed treatment with Rizolex(R) or a mixture of Thiram(R) + Rizolex(R) was effective in controlling seed rot and collar rot.