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Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris (Padwick) Matuo & K. Sato, 1962 · formerly or also: Fusarium orthoceras var. ciceri
Fusarium wilt is the most important soil-borne disease of chickpea. Infected plants droop, turn dull green then yellow-brown, and die in patches, either as seedlings or at flowering and podding; inside, the roots and lower stem show brown discoloration but are not rotten. The fungus lives in soil for years and exists as several races, so resistant varieties suited to the local races are the main defence.
Fusarium wilt of chickpea is caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris (Padwick) Matuo & K. Sato, 1962, a fungus (soil-borne ascomycete causing vascular wilt) (order Hypocreales, family Nectriaceae).
Older or alternative scientific names: Fusarium orthoceras var. ciceri.
Found in most chickpea-growing regions, and most damaging where the crop matures in warm, dry conditions: South Asia, the Mediterranean basin and North Africa, Ethiopia and East Africa, Iran and Central Asia, Mexico and parts of North America and Australia.
| Region | Status |
|---|---|
| South Asia | Widespread; the main chickpea disease in many areas |
| Mediterranean and North Africa | Widespread; several races |
| East Africa and the Middle East | Present; important in Ethiopia and Iran |
| Americas and Oceania | Present in Mexico, the western US and Australia |
The fungus produces microconidia, macroconidia and long-lived chlamydospores in soil and plant debris, and can be carried on and in seed. At least eight races (0, 1A, 1B/C, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) are recognised, distinguished on differential chickpea lines; some races cause wilting and others mainly yellowing.
| Crop stage | What you see |
|---|---|
| Seedling (early wilt, 3-5 weeks after sowing) | Seedlings collapse and lie flat on the ground while still green; roots look healthy outside, but splitting the stem shows brown discoloration inside. |
| Flowering and podding (late wilt) | Leaflets droop from the top down, plants turn dull green, then yellow and straw-coloured and die in patches; internal brown to black streaking of the root and lower stem xylem. |
| Maturity | Plants that survive have fewer, smaller pods and shrivelled, discoloured seed. |
Chlamydospores in soil and infected crop debris germinate near chickpea roots, and the fungus enters through roots and spreads in the xylem. Infected seed carries the fungus to new fields. When plants die, new spores form in the tissue and return to the soil, building up inoculum where chickpea is grown often.
| Stage | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chlamydospores in soil | Survive up to 6 years or more without chickpea | Main inoculum. |
| Root infection | Days after root contact | Seed-borne infection also starts disease. |
| Vascular colonisation | Weeks | Early or late wilt depending on race and conditions. |
| Spore production in dead plants | After plant death | Adds to soil inoculum. |
Disease develops fastest at soil temperatures of about 25-30 °C; warm, dry conditions at flowering and podding increase late wilt.
One disease cycle per crop.
Frequent chickpea cropping, infected seed, warm soils, moisture stress at podding, light soils, susceptible varieties and the presence of virulent races; root-knot nematodes increase wilt in some resistant varieties.
There is no numeric economic threshold; wilted plants cannot be cured and the fungus persists in soil. Decisions are made before sowing: choice of a resistant variety, seed treatment, sowing date and rotation.
Average annual losses are often estimated at about 10-15% of chickpea production in affected regions, and fields with high inoculum and susceptible varieties can lose most of the crop.
Control works best as a sequence: prevent, monitor, then act only when a threshold or a risk forecast says so, using the least disruptive option that works.
Seed treatment fungicides reduce seed-borne infection and early wilt but cannot protect the crop through the season against soil inoculum. What is registered differs by country and changes over time; follow the label and your local plant-protection authority.
| Scheme | Group | Mode of action | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FRAC | 1 | Methyl benzimidazole carbamates (MBC), seed treatment | Resistance risk. |
| FRAC | M03 | Dithiocarbamates and relatives (multi-site), seed treatment | Protectant. |
Chickpea is the main host; this form of Fusarium oxysporum does not cause disease on other crops, although it can survive on the roots of some non-host plants.
How to grow the crop well is the first line of defence. Laisha's free grow guides cover each crop from sowing to harvest:
Written by Laisha from the sources above, in its own words. This page is general reference, not a prescription: confirm identification locally and follow the label and your plant-protection authority.