Impact of Soil Types and Sowing Times on Collar Rot of Chickpea Caused by Sclerotium rolfsii in Bundelkhand Region of U.P.

The devastating soil-borne chickpea disease known as collar rot, which is caused by Sclerotium rolfsii, results in significant yield losses globally, especially in Uttar Pradesh, India, where seedling mortality can range from 55% to 95%. Numerous environmental conditions, like as soil type, pH and sowing time, affect the frequency and severity of collar rot. Developing successful management strategies requires an understanding of the connection between these factors and the onset of disease.

The study was carried out under controlled net-house circumstances throughout the 2022 rabi season (October-March). Four soil types typical of the Bundelkhand region (red, black, light brown and yellow) were tested. Chickpea plants were cultivated in these soils with variable pH values and two sowing dates (15-Nov and 15-Dec). Collar rot disease incidence and plant growth indicators such as shoot and root length were monitored throughout the growing season. Several chickpea cultivars, including L550, were assessed for sensitivity to collar rot.

The findings revealed that yellow soil had the lowest collar rot incidence (36.66%) and greatly increased plant growth, with an average shoot length of 38.24 cm and root length of 24.22 cm. In contrast, dark soil had the highest disease incidence (66.02%) and the lowest plant growth. Sowing timing had a significant impact on disease occurrence, with early sowing (15-Nov) having a greater incidence (21.37%) than late sowing (15-Dec) (11.19%). L550 was determined to be the most vulnerable to collar rot of all the cultivars studied. These findings emphasize the need of using optimal soil types and sowing timings to effectively minimize collar rot.