ABSTRACT
This chapter provides information on diseases of Bengal gram / Chickpea - Cicer arietinum L., their symptoms, pathogen characters, epidemiology, and management. The diseases covered are Ascochyta blight, rust, wilt, collar rot, and stunt disease. Pycnidiospores are hyaline, oval to oblong, straight or slightly curved and single celled, occasionally bicelled. The fungus survives in the infected plant debris as pycnidia. The pathogen is also externally and internally seed-borne. The primary spread is from seed-borne pycnidia and plant debris in the soil. The Fusarium oxysporum produces hyaline to light brown, septate and profusely branched hyphae. Microconidia are oval to cylindrical, hyaline, single celled, normally arise on short conidiophores. Macroconidia which borne on branched conidiophores, are thin walled, 3 to 5 septate, fusoid and pointed at both ends. Chlamydospores are roughwalled or smooth, terminal or intercalary, may be formed singly or in chains.
