Reactions of some chickpea genotypes to black root rot pathogen in fars province

Black root rot of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is prevalent in Fars province of Iran. Using resistant or tolerant cultivars are the best measures of control. Three years studies were conducted to evaluate the reactions of 126 genotypes of chickpea from gene bank and 26 collections from the province to an isolate of Fusarium solani. Results of the greenhouse studies, by planting seeds in the artificially infested soil, indicated that all the genotypes and collections were susceptible. To investigate the possibility of field tolerance among the genotypes, seeds were planted in two separate locations, Fasa and Zarghan, as augmented design in double rows, 2 m long 60 cm distant, in a field naturally infested with F. solani. Genotypes no. 25, 41, 50, 51, 72, 90, 101 and 125 in Fasa and 9, 10, 13, 14, 25, 50, 51, 62, 78, and 79 in Zarghan were assessed as tolerant genotypes. In the third year, the reactions of these genotypes were revaluated in a naturally infested field in Zarghan where all the genotypes showed susceptible reactions. It is therefore concluded that 126 gene bank genotypes and 26 local collections were all susceptible to F. solani the cause of black root rot, in the Fars province.