Identification, distribution and pathogenicity of Fusarium species isolated from root and crown of cantaloupe and melon in Khorasan Razavi province

Subject Areas : دو فصلنامه تحقیقات بیماریهای گیاهی

S. Teimouri ¹ , K. Rahnama ² , M. Hajian Shahri ³ , H. Afzali ⁴

1 - دانش آموخته کارشناسی ارشد، گروه گیاهپزشکی، دانشگاه علوم کشاورزی و منابع طبیعی گرگان، گرگان، ایران .
2 - دانشیار، گروه گیاهپزشکی، دانشگاه علوم کشاورزی و منابع طبیعی گرگان، ایران
3 - استادیار پژوهش، بخش تحقیقات گیاهپزشکی مرکز تحقیقات کشاورزی و منابع طبیعی خراسان رضوی، مشهد، ایران.
4 - استادیار پژوهش، بخش تحقیقات گیاهپزشکی مرکز تحقیقات کشاورزی و منابع طبیعی خراسان رضوی، مشهد، ایران.

Received: 2013-11-06 Accepted : 2013-11-06 Published : 2013-12-22

Keywords: Crown and root rot, Fusarium, Cantaloupe and melon, Khorasan Razavi,

Abstract :

In order to identify and evaluate the pathogenicity of Fusarium species associated with root and crown rot of contalupe and melon, several fields in different regions of Khorasan including Mashhad, Kashmar, Mahvelat, Khaff, Torbat Jam, Fariman, Neyshabour and Sarakhs were sampled during 2009-2010 growing season. After disinfection with sodium hypochlorite (1%), pieces of infected tissues were cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. Grown fungal isolates were then purified and were identified based on their morphological characteristics as different Fusarium species. To test pathogenicity of Fusarium isolates, 12-day-old cantaloupe seedlings grown in the green house were inoculated with fungal spore suspension (10⁶/ ml) by root dip inoculation method. The disease symptoms appeared after 4- 21 days. To fulfill Koch’s (pathogenicity) postulates, disease causal agents were re-isolated from the symptomatic plants. The pathogenic isolates were identified as F. solani, F. oxysporum and F. equiseti of which the first species was dominant. The results also showed that F. equiseti and F. acuminatum were mostly isolated from mature plants while F. solani and F. oxysporum were present in all growth stages of plants (seedling up to fruit stages). Results of distribution studies showed that these species were widely spread throughout the province and apparently their distribution is not affected by weather conditions. According to our findings, the above-mentioned Fusarium species seem to be the causal agents of root and crown rot of cantaloupe and melon and consequent wilting and vine decline which is an important disease in arid and semiarid areas.

References:

1. Adams GC, Gubler WD and Grogan RG. 1987. Seedling disease of muskmelon and mixed melons in California caused by Fusarium equiseti. Plant Disease 71: 370–374.


2. Agrios GN. 2005. Plant Pathology 5^th ed. New York: Academic Press. 635 p.


3. Aigbe SO and Fawole B. 1999. A cowpea seed rot disease caused by Fusarium equiseti identified in Nigeria. Plant Disease 83: 964 (Abstract).


4. Alvarado-Casillas S, Ibarra-Sanchez S, Rodriguez-Garcia O, Martinez-Gonzales N and Castillo A. 2007. Comparison of rinsing and sanitizing procedures for reducing bacterial pathogens on fresh cantaloupes and bell peppers. Journal of Food Protection 70: 655–660.


5. Behroozin M and Assadi P. 1994. Report on three Fusarium species as the causal agents of the basal and root rot of onion and their distribution in East Azarbaijan. Iranian Journal of Plant Pathology 30: 41–49.


6. Booth C. 1971. The Genus Fusarium. Surrey, England: Commonwealth Mycological Institute Publishing. 237 p.


7. Burger Y, Katzir N, Tzuri G, Portnoy V, Saar U, Shriber S, Perl-Treves R and Cohen R. 2003. Variation in the response of melon genotypes to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melonis race 1 determined by inoculation tests and molecular markers. Plant Pathology 52: 204–211.


8. Burgess LW, Summerell BA, Bullock S, Gott K and Backhouse D. 1994. Laboratory Manual for Fusarium Research. 3rd ed. Sydney: University of Sydney. 134 p.


9. Chehri K, Abbasi S, Reddy KRN and Salleh B. 2010. Occurrence and pathogenicity of various pathogenic fungi on cucurbits from Kermanshah province, Iran. African Journal of Microbiology Research 4: 1215–1223.


10. Chilosi G, Reda R, Aleandri MP, Camele I, Altieri L, Montuschi C, Languasco L, Rossi V, Agosteo GE, Macri C, Carlucci A, Lops F, Mucci M, Raimondo ML and Frisullo S. 2008. Fungi associated with root rot and collapse of melon in Italy. OEPP/EPPO Bulletin 38: 147–154.


11. Chimbekujwo IB. 2000. Frequency and pathogenicity of Fusarium wilts (Fusarium solani and Fusarium equiseti) of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) in Adamawa in Nigeria. Revista de Biologia Tropical 48:1–5.


12. Eyal H and Cohen Y. 1986. Sudden wilt in muskmelon. A continuing challenge. Phytoparasitica 14: 251 (Abstract).


13. Gerlach W and Nirenberg H. 1982. The Genus Fusarium, A Pictorial Atlas. Mitteilungen aus der Biologischen Bundesanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Berlin- Dahlem 209: 1–406.


14. Hajiyan Shahri M and Ebadi A. 2008. Seedborne pathogenic Fusarium species on melon. Paper presented at: 18^th Iranian plant protection congress; 23–27 August; Hamedan, Iran.


15. Hansen HN and Smith RE. 1932. The mechanisms of variation in imperfect fungi: Botrytis cinerea. Phytopathology 37: 369–371.


16. Hanson LE, Schwager SJ and Loria R. 1995. Sensitivity to Thiabendazole in Fusarium species associated with dry rot of potato. Phytopathology 86: 378–384.


17. Herfehdoust F, Rostami Shahraji T, Qhodskhah M and Khodaparast A. 2009. Investigation on the agent of conifer damping off in the forest nursery of Laka. Iranian Journal of Forest and Polar Research 17: 263–271.


18. Ismail HI, Chan KW, Mariod AA and Ismail M. 2010. Phenolic content and antioxidant activity of cantaloupe (cucumis melo) methanolic extracts. Food Chemistry 119: 643–647.


19. Jacobson DJ and Gordon TR. 1988. Vegetative compatibility and self-incompatibility within Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melonis. Phytopathology78: 688–672.


20. Jahanbakhsh V. 1998. Investigation on foot and root rot of honeydew melon in Khorasan provinces [MSc]. [Mashhad, Iran]: University of Ferdowsi Mashhad.


21. Karampour F and Hejaroud GA. 1993. Fusarium solani as the chickpea black root rot agent in Iran. Iranian Journal ofPlant Pathology 29: 147–148.


22. Lesli JF and Summerell BA. 2006. The Fusarium Laboratory Manual. Ames, USA: Blackwell Publishing. 388 p.


23. Mirtalebi M and Banihashemi Z. 2010. Isolation and pathogenicity of some Fusarium species isolated from crown and root of melon. Paper presented at: 19^th Iranian plant protection congress; 31 July–3 August; Tehran, Iran.


24. Namiki F, Shimizu K, Satoh K, Hirabayashi T, Nishi K, Kayamura T and Tsuge T. 2000. Occurrence of the Fusarium oxysporum f.sp melonis race 1 in Japan.Journal of General Plant Pathology 66: 12–17.


25. Nelson PE, Toussoun TA and Marasas WFO. 1983. Fusarium Species: An Illastrated Manual for Identification. Pennsylvania, USA: Pennsylvania State University Press. 193 p.


26. Palti J and Joffe A Z. 1971. Causes of the Fusarium wilts of cucurbits in Israel and conditions favoring their development. Phytopathology 70: 31–42.


27. Perchepied L and Pitrat M. 2004. Polygenic inheritance of partial resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melonis race 1,2 in melon. Phytopathology 94: 1331–1336.


28. Punja Z K, Parker M and Elmhirst JF. 2001. Fusarium wilt of field-grown muskmelon in British Columbia. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology 23: 403–410.


29. Rai R P. 1979. Fusarium equiseti (Corda) Sacc. Causing dry rot of potato tubers – New report. CurrentScience 4823: 1043–1045.


30. Reuveni R. 1982. Fusarium equiseti – A new cause of cumin spice plant wilt in Israel. Plant Disease 66: 498–499.


31. Risser G, Banihashemi Z and Davis D W. 1976. A proposed nomenclature of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melonis races and resistance genes in Cucumis melo. Phytopathology 66: 1105–1106.


32. Ritschel P S, Lins T C, Rodrigo Lourenço Tristan R L, Buso G S, Buso J A and Ferreira M E. 2004. Development of microsatellite markers from an enriched genomic library for genetic analysis of melon (Cucumis melo L.). BMC Plant Biology 4: 9.


33. Roy K W. 1997. Fusarium solani on soybean roots: Nomenclature of the causal agent of sudden death syndrome and identity and relevance of F. solani form B. Plant Disease 81: 259–266.


34. Safarnezhad M R. 2004. Investigation root rot of cucurbits in Sistan region. Paper presented at: 16^th Iranian Plant Protection Congress; August 28–September 1; Tabriz, Iran.


35. Sharifi K, Zare R, Zamanizadeh H R and Arjmandiyan A. 2008. Fusarium species causing dry rot of potatoes in Ardabil, Tehran and Hamedan Provinces. Plant Pests and Diseases 762: 93–113.


36. Strausbaugh C A, Overturf K and Koehn, A C. 2005. Pathogenicity and real-time PCR detection of Fusarium spp. in wheat and barley roots. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology 27: 430–438.


37. Vujanovic V, Hamel C, Yergeau E and St-Arnaud M. 2006. Biodiversity and biogeography of Fusarium species from northeastern North American asparagus fields based on microbiological and molecular approaches. Microbial Ecology 512: 242–255.


38. Zare R and Ershad D. 1997. Fusarium species isolated from cereals in Gorgan area. Iranian Journal of Plant Pathology 33: 1–14.


39. Zitter T A, Hopkins D L and Claude E T. 1998. Compendium of Cucurbit Diseases. St. Paul Minesota, USA: The American Phytopathological Society. 284 p.