Effect of Seed-Applied Fungicide on Nodulation, Disease Management, and Crop Yield in Chickpea ( <i>Cicer arietinum</i> )

Chickpea is a high-value crop in dryland production systems in the U.S. Northern Great Plains; however, it is highly susceptible to soil- and seedborne pathogens. Many seed-applied fungicide products are commercially available, but their efficacy has not been compared, and their effect on nodulation under field conditions has not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of commercial chickpea seed treatment products for the management of soilborne diseases, as well as their impact on nodulation and crop productivity under dryland conditions in western North Dakota. Field studies were conducted in 2021, 2022, and 2023 in Williston, North Dakota. Seed treatment with a product that includes an active ingredient for Pythium improved plant population. Plant population had a significant impact on yield, and where seedborne pathogens reduced stands, such as in 2021, yield was lower. Nodulation varied across the study years, and an increase in nodulation was associated with increased yields. Nitrogen-fixing crops such as chickpea generally contribute nitrogen to the cropping system; however, if nodulation is poor, that might not be the case. In 2021, when overall nodulation levels were low, residual soil nitrate negatively correlated with plant population, whereas plots without chickpea plants had the highest residual nitrate. The opposite trend was observed in 2022, when nodulation was high. Although seed treatment did not consistently increase yield, disease pressure from soilborne pathogens is unpredictable, necessitating the need for seed treatments to improve chickpea emergence and reduce risk of yield loss. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .