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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Grain Legume Genetics Physiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #340592
Title: Molecular identification of Fusarium spp. causing wilt of chickpea and the first report of Fusarium redolens in Turkey

Author
item TEKEOGLU, MUCELLA - Konya Food And Agricultural University
item OZKILINC, HILAL - Canakkale University
item TUNALI, BERNA - Ondokuz Mayis University
item Chen, Weidong

Submitted to: Mediterranean Agricultural Sciences
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/14/2016
Publication Date: 11/14/2016
Citation: Tekeoglu, M., Ozkilinc, H., Tunali, B., Chen, W. 2016. Molecular identification of Fusarium spp. causing wilt of chickpea and the first report of Fusarium redolens in Turkey. Mediterranean Agricultural Sciences. 30:27-33.

Interpretive Summary: Fusarium wilt is an important disease of chickpea worldwide and is caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris and in some countries also by a different species, Fusarium redolens. Because host resistance is very important in managing Fusarium wilt and host resistance is specific for pathogen species, it is critical to determine the pathogen species for deploying specific resistance genes. To determine the identity of species causing chickpea wilt in Turkey, 45 Fusarium isolates were obtained from chickpea plants showing wilt symptoms in 10 provinces from 2007 to 2009. F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceris and F. redolens were distinguished from each other by DNA probes. Among the 45 isolates, eight isolates were identified as F. redolens, and eleven isolates as F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceris. This is the first report of F. redolens causing chickpea wilt in Turkey, suggesting additional resistance sources are needed in order to develop chickpea cultivars resistant to Fusarium wilt.

Technical Abstract: Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important food legume crop and Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris is one of the most important diseases of chickpea in Turkey. Fusarium redolens is known to cause wilt-like disease of chickpea in other countries, but has not been reported from Turkey. Accurate identification of pathogen species and races is important for managing the disease in developing and deploying resistant cultivars. Forty five Fusarium spp. isolates that caused wilt of chickpea were obtained from 10 provinces in Turkey from 2007 to 2009. Species level identification of these isolates was done using PCR primers specific for F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceris and F. redolens along with sequencing of the Translation Elongation Factor 1-a (Ef-1a) gene region. Among the isolate collection, eight isolates were identified as F. redolens, and eleven isolates as F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceris based on PCR with species-specific primers. Seven of the eleven F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceris isolates were further identified as race 0 based on PCR with race-specific primers. Moreover, sequence data of Ef-1a region were used to identify any isolate that did not give amplification with F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceris race specific primers and F. redolens specific primers. This is the first report of F. redolens causing chickpea wilt in Turkey.