The combination of seed treatment and cultivar selection is effective for control of soilborne diseases in chickpea

Damping-off and root rot are diseases of concern in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) production and can cause seedling loss, increase weed populations, and reduce yield. A complex of soilborne pathogens is responsible for damping-off and root rot in the Northern Great Plains. Species within this complex include Fusarium spp., Pythium spp., and Rhizoctonia solani. Currently, partially resistant cultivars and fungicide seed treatments are the most effective for control of damping-off and root rot. This study examined 25 chickpea cultivars and breeding lines with and without a fungicide seed treatment (fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin, and metalaxyl) for stand establishment and grain yield in field conditions. Experimental plots were located in dryland and irrigated fields at the Eastern Agriculture Research Center (EARC) in Sidney MT in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Stand counts were recorded three times to calculate area under disease progress curve (AUDPC). Yield, and protein content (only in 2021) was assessed after harvest. In 2021, pathogens were isolated from chickpea roots showing signs of root rot and identified as Fusarium solani. The results showed that the seed treatments effectively decreased soilborne disease development (75%–84%) and improved chickpea yield (11%–14%) in 2020 and 2021, and increased protein content (0.6%) in 2021. Different cultivars did not have a consistent impact on disease development and yield protection. NDC160166 and NDC160236 displayed consistently lower disease and higher yield and might be a future source of disease resistance. Yield of untreated seeds decreased and AUDPC increased for all cultivars/lines in both years. A negative correlation was also observed between protein content and chickpea yield in 2021.