The specific epithetrabiei refers to rabbia del cece or 'rabies of chickpea', a name for the disease.[4][5]
The disease is also referred to as ascochyta blight but there are other fungal species that cause diseases in other pulse species that also go by that term. It also goes by the name blight of chickpea.[6]InFrench it is called anthracnose du pois-chiche (lit. 'chickpea anthracnose') or ascochytose du pois-chiche ('chickpea ascochyta').[6]InGerman it is referred to as Anthraknose: Kichererbse (anthracnose: chickpea').[6] It is called ascoquita del garbanzo ('garbanzo ascochyta') or rabia del garbanzo ('rabies of garbanzo') in Spanish.[6]
Once ascochyta blight has infected a healthy chickpea plant, it will start to develop lesions on all aerial plant parts. If a seed pod becomes infected, it may initially be asymptomatic, but will eventually develop dark lesions on the surface of the seed coats.[citation needed]
D. rabiei has a spherical punctiform and membranous pyrenium, at first lutescent then opening to a rounded black ostiole.[5] It has numerous elliptical and hyaline spores or varying size.[5] The fungus survives within the infected crop debris from the previous growing season. It requires the infected debris, because it does not produce resting spores that allow it to survive in the soil during the winter. When surviving in crop debris, it typically lasts longer if exposed to drier conditions. When both compatible mating types of the fungus are present, it is able to develop a pseudothecia that produces airborne spores. These airborne spores play a major role in the dispersal of the pathogen. [7]
The most important way to protect susceptible crops from this pathogen is to use resistant cultivars when planting. However, this disease has multiple mating types, and may lead to pathogen resistance if the same cultivars are repeatedly used. To add to this, there are a number of cultural practices that can help reduce the vigor of D. rabiei. These include, but are not limited to: using certified disease free seed, rotation to new crops every 2 or 3 years, and planting in wide rows with adequate spacing. [7]
^ abcPasserini, Giovanni (December 1864). "Primo elenco di Funghi Parmensi" [First list of Mushrooms of Parma] (PDF). Commentario - Societa Crittogamologica Italiana, Milan (in Italian). 2 (1): 497. Retrieved 21 February 2018. Pyrenium globosum punctiforme membranaceum, primo lutescens dein nigrum osculo rotundato reclusum. Sporae numerosae ellipsoideae hyalinae magnitudine variae, plasmate granuloso repletae, madore erumpentes. Nella sommità de' ceci coltivati ne' campi e colpiti dalla così detta rabbia onde rapidamente periscono.
^ abcd"Didymella rabiei (MYCORA)[Overview]". EPPO Global Database. Europe: European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization. 1 February 2002. Archived from the original on 22 February 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
^Can, Canan; Özkilinc, Hilal; Kahraman, A.; Ozkan, H. (July 2007). Robertson, Alison E. (ed.). "First Report of Ascochyta rabiei Causing Ascochyta Blight of Cicer pinnatifidum". Plant Disease. 91 (7): 908. doi:10.1094/PDIS-91-7-0908C. ISSN0191-2917. OCLC4661716178. PMID30780415.
^Chilvers, Martin I.; Horton, T. L.; Peever, Tobin L.; Kaiser, W. J.; Muehlbauer, F. J. (December 2006). Robertson, Alison E. (ed.). "First Report of Ascochyta Blight of Vicia hirsuta (Hairy Tare) in the Republic of Georgia Caused by Ascochyta sp". Plant Disease. 90 (12): 1555. doi:10.1094/PD-90-1555A. ISSN0191-2917. OCLC202785383. PMID30780990.
