Morphological and molecular identification of Fusarium spp. causing diseases in strawberry

Abstract

Soil-born fungal diseases cause significant losses in strawberry culture and Fusarium is one of the most important among them. The present study was conducted to investigate Fusarium species causing wilting in strawberry plants. Morphological and molecular detection of different Fusarium species related to wilting diseases in strawberries was objective of the study. The fungal isolates were collected from the main strawberry growing areas in Anamur and Silifke districts of Mersin province, Gazipaşa and Aydıncık districts of Antalya province, and Sultanhisar district of Afyon province. Total of 300 samples were analyzed morphologically and 39% of them found infected with Fusarium species. The pathogenicity of six morphologically distinct Fusarium isolates were tested utilizing root dipping to spore suspension method using strawberry variety ‘‘Festival’’. After pathogenicity tests, total DNA from mycelial cultures of six Fusarium isolates were extracted and ribosomal DNA ITS region was amplified using ITS6/4 primers by PCR. The amplicons were sequenced and obtained DNA sequences were blasted in NCBI and Fusarium ID GeneBanks. The sequences of all morphologically identified Fusarium isolates showed 99-100% identity with the Fusarium species deposited in NCBI. Furthermore, the investigated Fusarium species were identified as Fusarium oxysporum, and F. proliferatum according to NCBI but F. incarnatumequiseti species complex and F. concolor according to Fusarium ID.