31 Coventry,S Davidson,J Salam,M Scott,E 2008 Factors affecting short and long distance dispersal of fungal pathogens - Chickpea Ascochyta blight as a model 9th International Congress of Plant Pathology Torino, Italy 158 Journal of Plant Pathology 90 (S2) 24/08/2008 <p>Containment and eradication of exotic plant pathogens requires a comprehensive knowledge of epidemiology. Some fungal plant pathogens are spread by both rain-splash and wind, allowing dispersal over long distances and making containment difficult. Plant pathogens already identified in Australia with short and long distance dispersal are being used to evaluate a risk model designed for forecasting disease dispersal. <em>Ascochyta </em>rabiei, of world-wide significance in causing <em>Ascochyta </em>blight in chickpeas, has both rain-splash and wind dispersed spores, making it a suitable candidate to study the effect of environment on spore dispersal. Field trials were established in 2006 and in 2007 at two sites in south-eastern Australia to study the nature and pattern of spread of <em>A. rabiei.</em> Rain was critical in the initiation and continual spread of <em>A. rabiei</em> from diseased seedlings in 2006 and from chickpea residues in 2007. In plots of a susceptible cultivar, the prevailing wind was also influential in spread of disease from the central focus. Laboratory experiments to assess the effect of wind speed, rain droplet size and wind-driven-rain on spore dispersal, and studies on the factors affecting viability of conidia, will help to further calibrate the model. This model may provide a template for studying the spread of other diseases and for understanding likely scenarios of plant pathogen incursions.</p> http://www.sipav.org/main/jpp/volumes/0808/ICPP_2008.pdf