Aussie Growers Cautioned to Keep Focus on Management

SYDNEY - Feb 17/10 - SNS -- The availability of a vastly improved chickpea variety for growers in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland is no replacement for good management, warns Pulse Australia.

Gordon Cumming, Industry Development Manager for the Northern Region for Pulse Australia, says even though PBA HatTrick has enhanced disease resistance, there is no room for complacency.

"About 60% of the chickpeas grown in the region last year were Jimbour because of its broad regional adaptation and high yield potential," Cumming said.

"PBA HatTrick maintains this yield potential and adds enhanced disease resistance, being classed as moderately resistant to ascochyta blight and moderately resistant to phytophthora root rot - the two key chickpea disease threats in north-eastern Australia.

"Under normal conditions there is no cost benefit for growers using PBA HatTrick to apply a preventative fungicide before ascochyta is detected. This is a direct financial saving; but of even greater importance is the ease of management the variety provides to growers when making disease management decisions.

"Growers need to be aware that other varieties still need a preventative spray program, in accordance with their levels of varietal resistance. Only seed from a paddock clean of disease in the previous year should be used, and the use of a seed dressing is always advisable," Cumming said.

All varieties remain susceptible to pod infection by ascochyta blight and appropriate disease management practices may be required during pod fill in conducive spring seasons when the disease is present within a crop.

Regardless of the variety, rotations and disease monitoring are important.

"Chickpeas should not be planted in the same paddock within three years, or next to the previous year’s chickpea crop," Cumming said.

"A wet winter or spring increases disease risk and crops, including PBA HatTrick , should be checked seven to ten days after rain and treated with a fungicide if ascochyta blight has been found."

A guide, Symptoms and Identification of Ascochyta blight in Chickpea, is available on the Pulse Australia website. It has numerous photographs to help growers who may not have seen the disease before. Variety Management Packages are also available.

Many agronomists in the region have also been accredited and growers are encouraged to seek their advice in planning for and managing their chickpea crops.

These courses have been run by Cumming in association with the state agriculture departments of Queensland and New South Wales and supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC).