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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Plant Germplasm Introduction and Testing Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #81497
Title: DISTRIBUTION OF MATING TYPES AND THE TELEOMORPH OF ASCOCHYTA RABIEI ON CHICKPEA IN TURKEY

Author
item Kaiser Jr, Walter
item KUSMENOGLU, ISMAIL - TURKISH ADMIN AGRICULTURE

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/20/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Chickpea (garbanzo bean) is a very important food and cash crop in Turkey where over 800,000 hectares (2,000,000 acres) are grown. The most important disease affecting chickpea in Turkey is ascochyta blight caused by Ascochyta rabiei. Serious crop losses occur in some years when environmental conditions (cool, wet weather) favor disease development and spread. Isolates of A. rabiei were collected from different chickpea growing regions of Turkey. Tests were done to determine what mating types of the fungus occur in Turkey. Two compatible mating types are required for the sexual state (Didymella rabiei) to develop. Both mating types were found in 19 provinces. The sexual state also developed on naturally infested chickpea debris collected in 15 of 20 provinces when it was incubated at environmental conditions that favored development of the sexual state. This is the first report of the sexual state of A. rabiei in nTurkey.

Technical Abstract: One hundred forty five isolates of Ascochyta rabiei, the incitant of ascochyta blight of chickpea, were collected from chickpea (Cicer arietium) in 23 provinces of Turkey. Each isolate was tested for mating type with compatible mating type 1 and mating type 2 tester isolates. Both mating types were found in 19 provinces. Fifty eight percent of the isolates were emating type 1 and 42 percent were mating type 2. A great deal of variatio in cultural characteristics was observed among the Turkish isolates in mycelial growth, sporulation, and colony appearance. Mature pseudothecia of Didymella rabiei, the teleomorph (sexual state) of A. rabiei, developed on naturally infested chickpea debris collected in 15 of 20 provinces when incubated at environmental conditions that favored development of the teleomorph.