Fusarium Species Isolated from Wheat Samples Showing Root and Crown Rot Symptoms in Southeast Anatolia

Abstract

Wheat is one of the most largely grown cereals in Turkey and it is very importantfor meet calorie requirements of humans and animals. However, due tonumerous fungal diseases suffered, the wheat supply is threatened. Fusariumspp., known as the big portion of plant parasitic fungi, causes some quality andquantity problems on wheat production. This large genus has over one hundredsub-species, therefore, it is so difficult to diagnose in species level. Using certainmolecular and microscopic approaches, this study aimed at determining theFusarium spp., causing root and crown rot on wheat in Southeast Anatolia.Molecularly, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) experiment with somespecies-specific primers and sequencing of some part of ribosomal RNA regionafter amplification by PCR were used to differentiate the species. Additionally,colony and different spore characteristics of cultures were used to diagnose someFusarium species microscopically. At the end of the study, 143 Fusarium isolatesincluding 19 species were obtained from wheat producing areas in Diyarbakır,Şanlıurfa, Mardin, and Adıyaman provinces. Although the most frequentlyisolated species was F. proliferatum at the rate of 17.4%, F. pseudograminearumand F. culmorum, which were the most important crown rot pathogens, wereisolated at 13% of the total isolated Fusarium isolates.