| This study was conducted to determine the genetic variations among different isolates of Ascochyta rabiei (pass.)lab. the causal agent of ascochyta blight of chinckpea,Cicer arietinum L.,by differential hosts and gel electrophoresis of fungal proteins. Results showed the existence of significant (p=0.05)differences between the isolates in their disease severity on the different chickpea cultivars used in this study. The disease severity was found to be 99.8% ,the highest, on the sensitive cultivar ˝Marakishy˝ and 47.63% , the lowest, on the resistant line ILC3279. The fungal isolates were considered as 4 physiological races: Race 1, the weakest with disease severity above 66.6% on cv. Marakishy and line ILC1929, Race 2, the mild one with disease severity above 66.6% on cv. Marakishy, ILC1929, cv. Rafidain, and line ILC482, Race 3, the agressive race with disease severity above 66.6% on most cultivars except line ILC3279, Race4, the highly aggressive race with a disease severity above 66.6% on all the test genotype. It was found that these races belong to 3 pathotypes: Pathotype Ι, the weakest one including race 1. Pathotype ΙΙ, the mild one, including races 2 and 3, and pathotype ΙΙΙ, the most severe one, included race 4. Fungal isolates protein electrophoresis showed differences in position and number of protein bands which indicates the occurrence of 4 races of A.rabiei on chickpea in Ninevah . protein electrophoresis results were compatible with the results of pathogenicity test of these races on ascochyta differential Chickpea hosts. |