LAUSR

Abstract Chickpea is a major food legume crop in the mid-highlands of Ethiopia where its yield is negatively impacted by the wilt and root rot disease complex. The pathogens associated with WRR complex and their associations with biophysical factors have not been well understood in the past. We report here a survey of five major chickpea-growing regions covering 30 districts in the central and northern highlands of Ethiopia. The associations between disease parameters and biophysical factors were assessed using logistic regression analyses. Moreover, pathogens associated with wilt and root rot were identified, and their frequency of occurrence was determined. Mean percent wilt and root rot incidence and percent severity index were the highest in Gojam followed by Gondar and the lowest in Shoa. The major pathogens associated with infected roots were Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris, Fusarium solani, Rhizoctonia bataticola, Sclerotium rolfsii, and Rhizoctonia solani. The most frequently isolated pathogen was F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceris followed by R. solani. Moreover, significant (P