Vol. 9, Issue 5, Part C (2025)

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a vital legume crop cultivated globally for its nutritional and soil-enriching properties. However, its production is increasingly threatened by dry root rot (DRR), caused by the soil-and seed-borne fungus Rhizoctonia bataticola. The disease is particularly devastating under high temperature and low soil moisture conditions. This study focused on the isolation, identification, and pathogenicity confirmation of R. bataticola, and evaluated integrated management strategies under controlled conditions. Morphological and molecular analyses confirmed the identity of the pathogen. A sick-pot experiment using a susceptible chickpea variety revealed typical DRR symptoms and high virulence of the isolate. Integrated disease management (IDM) strategies combining soil amendments and seed treatments were assessed in a glasshouse pot trial over two Rabi seasons. Among the treatments, soil application of farmyard manure (FYM) combined with carbendazim seed treatment resulted in the highest germination rate (85.71%), plant height (51.29 cm), and yield (121.14 g/pot), showing a 52.18% increase over the control. Neem cake combined with Trichoderma viride also performed well, indicating its potential as a sustainable alternative. The lowest performance was observed in treatments with FYM and neem cake alone. The findings underscore the importance of integrating organic amendments with biocontrol agents or fungicides for effective management of DRR in chickpea. These results contribute to practical, eco-friendly disease control strategies suitable for semi-arid regions affected by climate variability.