Al-Naeb¹*, A.A. Haj Qasim¹, M. Matar², B. Al-Rahban³
(1) Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria; (2) Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Latakia, Latakia, Syria; (3) General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research, Damascus, Syria.
*Email address of the corresponding author: [email protected]
A field survey was conducted to investigate the spread of Ascochyta fabae disease on faba bean, during the flowering and pod maturation stages in some faba bean-growing areas in Syria, including the governorates of Latakia, Tartous, Al-Ghab, and Aleppo, during the 2022 and 2023 growing seasons. The survey covered 96 fields in each season. The disease prevalence, incidence and disease index were estimated in all studied fields, and the pathogenic fungus was isolated from the infected plants at each site. The isolates were distributed into groups according to the cultural and microscopic characteristics of the fungus, and the frequency (%) of each was calculated. The results obtained showed that the disease spread at varying rates in all areas covered by the survey. The highest disease spread reached 79.2% in Latakia in 2023 season, and the highest incidence of 67.13% and disease index of 56.13% were detected in Al-Haffah. A total of 97 fungal isolates were obtained during the two seasons, distributed into three groups. Isolates from group II were the most common constituting 48.45% of the total isolates, and were observed in all regions and governorates covered by the survey. Pathogenicity test showed that A. fabae isolates varied in their ability to cause disease, with the isolates of group I being the most virulent on the Hama 1 faba bean variety under artificial infection conditions.
Fungal diseases, Vicia faba, Ascochyta blight, field survey, Syria.
https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-001518