In the wake of the weekend rain across the eastern seaboard, chickpea growers are being urged to check their crops for suspected outbreaks of ascochyta blight.
According to the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries pulse industry development officer, Jayne Gentry, complacency to the fungal disease is by far the greatest threat to this season's chickpea crop.
"Some growers might consider the risk of ascochyta blight to be minimal this season, however the absence of visible ascochyta last year is no guarantee that it will not be active this season," Ms Gentry said.
"The consequences of complacency and adopting a wait and see approach could result in a need to resort to more expensive fungicides, and even the possibility of crop failure under wet conditions."
Ascochyta blight is endemic in all chickpea growing areas, with the exception of Central Queensland, and can be found on volunteer chickpea plants in most regions.
DPI&F principal plant pathologist, Malcolm Ryley, from Toowoomba, said the disease was spread during wet weather when the spores of the fungus are carried onto neighbouring plants by rain splash during wet, windy weather.
Dr Ryley said chickpea growers needed to engage preventative disease management strategies that have been developed in consultation with industry - a combination of farm hygiene, resistant varieties, crop monitoring and the use of fungicides.
"The key to the management strategies is the timely application of a preventative fungicide, particularly the first one, and those growers who have planted chickpeas this year should be ready to apply this first preventative spray," he said.
The first fungicide spray needs to be applied before the first rain event after emergence.
If there is no rain likely, then apply before the three branch stage of crop development, which is usually two to three weeks after emergence.
Use either 1 kg/ha of a registered product containing 750 g/kg mancozeb, or 1 L/ha of a registered product containing 720g/L chlorothalonil.
Monitor the crop for 10-14 days after a rain event and if Ascochyta is found, apply either 2 kg/ha of the mancozeb product, or 1 L/ha of the chlorothalonil product prior to the next rain event.
Continue monitoring and spray again if weather and disease levels indicate Ascochyta is spreading.
Pulse Australia pulse development officer, Gordon Cumming, said this first spray was critical, as it reduced the risk of early ascochyta development.
"We cannot afford to be complacent and rely on detection before applying the first spray," Mr Cumming said.
"This approach can lead to rapid early build up of the disease which then becomes difficult and costly to control."
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