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Proceedings of the Workshop on Ascochyta Blight and Winter Sowing of Chickpeas (Saxena, M.C.<br />

and Singh, K.B.. eds.). ICARDA. 4-7 May 198,. Aleppo. Syria<br />

Ascochyta Blight Situation of Chickpea<br />

in Ethiopia<br />

GELETU BEJIGA<br />

Debre Zeit Agricultural Experiment Station,<br />

Debre Zeit, Ethiopia.<br />

Ascoehyta blight was not well known in Ethiopia until it was first observed<br />

around 1969 at Kulumsa, 175 km south of Addis Ababa. There was no known<br />

evidence whether the disease was introduced or indigenous to the country. Some<br />

pathologists assume that this disease might have come with seeds from the<br />

Middle East.<br />

According to the Chilalo Agricultural Development Unit (CADU) 1969 report,<br />

chickpea cultivars DZ-10-10, Punjab 7, and C 217/3 were severely attacked<br />

by blight (Ascochyta rabiei) at Kulumsa. The disease appeared to be a<br />

serious problem on chickpeas planted particularly under moist conditions. Ascochyta<br />

leaf blight was also observed almost wherever chickpea was grown at<br />

Kulumsa and at a few other locations in the CADU project area. The yield of the<br />

chickpea trial was also reported to be low due to the heavy attack by ascochyta<br />

blight soon aftcr planting. The only line not severely attacked was C 410 (CADU<br />

1971).<br />

Ascochyta blight was not observed during the 1971 and 1972 cropping seasons<br />

(CADU 1972, 1973) despite the fact that the disFase was believed to be a major<br />

problem in chickpea around Kulumsa.<br />

Regarding the presence of ascochyta blight in Ethiopia, if it is assumed to be<br />

an introduced disease, there is (1)the possibility that it came with seeds of<br />

cultivars Punjab 7, C 217/3 and C 410, or (2)since chickpea is not widely grown<br />

in Kulumsa and Arsi, it could have been present but not noticed by i'armers long<br />

before CADU.<br />

The same disease was observed by Dr. Gallagher (USAID researcher) at<br />

Debre Zeit in 1976-77 on small plots of chickpea planted in July on light soil. In<br />

1977-78 Dr. Gallagher reported its occurrence at Debre Zeit (July planting),<br />

Arsi Negele (July planting), and at Mekele. In the chickpea national yield trial at<br />

these locations in 1978-79, the disease appeared to kill some susceptible culti­<br />

269

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