Evaluation of Fungicide Seed Treatments for Control of Chickpea Damping-Off Caused by Metalaxyl-Resistant Pythium spp. in Pullman, WA, 2024

Pythium seed rot and damping-off, caused by Pythium spp., is a devastating seedling disease of chickpea. The disease symptoms are no or low emergence and poor stand establishment due to seed rot and damping-off. Pythium seed rot and damping off of chickpea is traditionally managed using seed treatment with fungicide metalaxyl, but the emergence of metalaxyl-resistant Pythium populations has rendered metalaxyl ineffective. Although fungicide ethaboxam is effective against metalaxyl-resistant Pythium, additional effective fungicides are needed in rotation to prevent the development of ethaboxam-resistant Pythium. This trial was conducted to evaluate additional fungicides effective against Pythium. A seed treatment trial was conducted on chickpea ( Cicer arietinum) cultivar Sierra at the Washington State University agronomy Spillman farm near Pullman, WA, in 2024. Results from this trial will help identify additional fungicides that are effective at controlling metalaxyl-resistant Pythium spp.