Post-doctoral Fellowship: A Model for Predicting Chickpea Ascochyta Blight Risk

Ascochyta blight, caused by the fungus Ascochyta (Phoma) rabiei, is one of the most devastating diseases of chickpea worldwide; and is the main disease that constrains chickpea production in Australia. The severity of ascochyta blight is mainly determined by temperature, rainfall and varietal resistance with growers relying heavily on fungicides to manage yield losses. This investment aims to produce a model of the spread of ascochyta from previous season's paddocks to the current season's crop. It is envisaged that this model will assist growers and their advisers to understand and manage ascochyta as part of an integrated management approach.