THE FUNCTIONAL INTERACTION BETWEEN BIOLOGICAL DISEASE CONTROL AGENTS AND RHIZOBIUM ON CHICKPEA

CHICKPEA (CICER ARIETINUM) IS AN IMPORTANT WORLDWIDE FOOD LEGUME CAPABLE OF GROWING WITH MINIMAL RAINFALL AND OF FIXING NITROGEN. THE CROP IS OFTEN GROWN IN ROTATION WITH GRAINS ON NITROGEN DEFICIENT SOILS. FOR THE PLANT TO REACH MAXIMUM STAINABLE YIELDS WITHOUT SUPPLEMENTAL NITROGEN, IT MUST BE INOCULATED WITH A RHIZOBIUM SPP. AND PLANTED DURING WINTER SEASONS. PLANTING UNDER COOL WET CONDITIONS, HOWEVER, SUBJECTS THE CROP TO PYTHIUM CAUSED DAMPING-OFF RESULTING IN SERIOUS CROP LOSS. SEED TREATMENT WITH CHEMICAL FUNGICIDES IS EFFECTIVE BUT KILLS THE RHIZOBIUM; THUS, AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD TO PREVENT PYTHIUM CAUSED DAMPING-OFF IS DESIRABLE. THIS PROJECT EXAMINES THE FEASIBILITY OF USING BIOLOGICAL DISEASE CONTROL AGENTS (BDCAS) IN COMBINATION WITH RHIZOBIUM TO PREVENT PYTHIUM DISEASE AND MAXIMIZE THE SUSTAINABLE YIELD OF CHICKPEA. GREENHOUSE STUDIES ARE TESTING FIVE BDCAS WITH SPECIAL CHICKPEA RHIZOBIUM IN FOUR DIFFERENT AGRICULTURAL SOILS. IF SUCCESSFUL, THIS UNIQUE METHOD OF PREVENTING PYTHIUM DISEASE COULD BE USED IN OTHER SUSTAINABLE FOOD LEGUME CROPS IN THE UNITED STATES AND WORLDWIDE AND, THEREFORE, IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO U.S. TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS IN AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY.