Disease alert for chickpea growers in South Australia

South Australian chickpea growers are being advised to monitor their crops for ascochyta blight and Botrytis Grey Mould.

Ascochyta blight has been found in a crop of Almaz chickpeas on Yorke Peninsula, according to South Australian Research and Development Institute Senior Pulse Pathologist, Jenny Davidson.

Ms Davidson says Almaz is MS-MR for this disease and requires control strategies to prevent disease spread and yield loss, including foliar fungicides.

"Almaz, and other MS-MR cultivars, require fungicide sprays with chlorothalonil or mancozeb prior to flowering, in addition to podding sprays, to prevent high yield loss.

"Chickpea cultivars with resistance to ascochyta blight, such as Genesis090, require podding sprays because the pods and seeds are susceptible in these lines.”

Ms Davidson reminded growers that all chickpea cultivars should be treated with P-Pickel T before sowing next season to prevent ascochyta infection transferring from seed to the new crop.

SARDI research, supported by growers and the Australian Government through the Grains Research and Development Corporation, has shown that epidemics of ascochyta blight in chickpeas can start from an extremely low level of seed infection.

"The lack of widespread epidemics in previous years is not a guarantee of uninfected seed, hence the need for P-Pickel T prior to sowing each year,” Ms Davidson said.
Growers are also urged to check crops now for Botrytis Grey Mould.

"Many chickpea crops were sown early this year, and as a result, some crops have developed bulky canopies,” Ms Davidson said.

"Combined with current rainy weather conditions and conducive temperatures – days above 18C and nights above 8 to10C – Botrytis Grey Mould can develop quickly in these crops, especially in the susceptible Genesis090.

"If humid conditions continue, these chickpea crops may need fungicide sprays, particularly to protect flowers and pods, which are the most susceptible parts of chickpea plants.

"Carbendazim products have good efficacy against this disease, and chlorothalonil sprays planned for ascochyta blight will also help reduce the rate of disease spread.”

Ms Davidson said Botrytis Grey Mould was also a disease of lentils and faba beans (named Chocolate spot in faba beans) and the first report of BGM in Nugget lentils had been received from southern Yorke Peninsula.

"This crop has had a canopy closure spray, but the disease is present in the lower canopy as white flecks on leaves, and blanching of the lower canopy,” Ms Davidson said.

She said follow-up sprays were necessary.

"This report indicates that weather conditions are conducive to this disease at the moment and pulse crops need fungicide sprays to protect against infection.”