Fusarium wilt of pea- A mini review

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) belongs to family Leguminosae and includes both ornamental and edible forms i.e. the garden pea and field pea. It is one of the most important legume crops and is grown over a greater part of the world. This crop is affected by a number of bacterial, fungal and viral diseases which under favourable conditions can significantly decrease both yield and quality. Fusarium wilt is an economically significant disease causing losses to the tune of 30–40 per cent. Symptoms of the disease include true wilt and near wilt. The first symptoms are usually a yellowing of lower leaves and stunting of plant growth ultimately leading to wilting of plants. This disease is caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. pisi for which different races 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 and 11 were described on the basis of virulence. The pathogen is soil borne and can survive in the soil in the absence of pea crop for 10 years or longer as thick walled chlamydospores. A soil temperature of 23–27°C is most favourable for true wilt development. There is no satisfactory control of wilt disease once the fungus is introduced and gets established in the soil, however, different strategies viz. cultural practices, disease resistant varieties, biological and chemical methods can be integrated to achieve the best management of the disease.