Abstract
In vitro evaluation of the comparative effects of furigicid.es on mycelia! growth of Aseuehyta rabief revealed that A. rablei was the most sensitive to Thiabenda.zole, Derosal, Homai and Ciaixin-M. Thiabendazole and Derosal completely inhibited the fungus at 5 uglml concentration in the growth medium, whereas Hornai and Calixin-M completely inhibited the fungus growth at their 20 and 50 uglml concentration respectively. The least effective fungicides in inhibiting mycelia] growth were Tfi Multox, Rabcide and Viti-gran blue. While IIino7an and TricyclazoIe exhibited intermediate effectiveness, Homai, Tbiabendazole, Derosal and Calixin.-M were also the most and statistically equally effective fungicides in redu-cing the percent recovery of the see d-borne J. rablei, when the seed were treated with these fungicides at the rate of 1 g (a.i.)Jkg seed and then bio-assayed on gram seed meal agar. There was no re-covery of the fungus from Thiabendazole and Homai treated seeds even after 21 days of incubation at 22+2T.
INTRODUCTION
Among various diseases that affect gram (Cicer arietinwn L.) cultivation, gram blight disease, caused by Asearhyta rah/el (Pass) Lab. is the most devasta-ting. This disease appears almost regularly in alarming epidemics in both the barani and irrigated areas of Pakistan. The fungus infects all above ground parts of tne gram plant and is perpetcated from season to season either throu.gh. infected plant debris lying in the field from the previous year or through infected gram seed (Kaiser, 1971; Sattar, 1933). Where as destruction of infected plant debris through cultural practices is inevitable, the highly seed borne nature of A, rethiei in gram makes fungicidal seed treatment essential and useful, Treat-ment of seeds with effective fungicides can greatly help in reducing time spread of the disease. It can help in preventing races of the fungus into areas, where they
