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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Salinas, California » Crop Improvement and Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #413123
Research Project: Disease Management and Improved Detection Systems for Control of Pathogens of Vegetables and Strawberries

Location: Crop Improvement and Protection Research

Title: Revisiting Fusarium oxysporum Epidemiology: A review of current knowledge and recent advances in airborne dispersal of spores

Author
item SACHER, GABE - Pennsylvania State University
item DILLA-ERMITA, JADE - University Of California
item CRANDALL, SHARIFA - Pennsylvania State University
item Leblanc, Nicholas
item Henry, Peter

Submitted to: American Phytopathological Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/22/2024
Publication Date: 3/26/2024
Citation: Sacher, G., Dilla-Ermita, J., Crandall, S., LeBlanc, N.R., Henry, P.M. 2024. Revisiting Fusarium oxysporum Epidemiology: A review of current knowledge and recent advances in airborne dispersal of spores. American Phytopathological Society - Pacific Division Annual Meeting, March 26-28, 2024, Corvallis, Oregon.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Host-specific strains of Fusarium oxysporum (FO) cause a vascular wilt disease in more than 100 plant species. Because infections for Fusarium wilt disease usually start in the roots, and FO is a competitive soil saprophyte, FO is typically considered a soilborne pathogen. However, FO is also known to form sporodochia on infested aboveground plant tissue. Sporodochia formation has been described in several pathosystems, especially in greenhouses. FO spores have typically been considered to be dispersed by water . However, since the late 1970’s, airborne dispersal has been recognized in FO epidemiology, in which airborne spores appeared to recolonize steam-sanitized greenhouse soil. Since this discovery, FO infection of healthy plants via airborne spores, and infection of aboveground tissue via artificial inoculation, have been confirmed on both tomato and basil. In addition, spore traps have captured spores of many species of Fusarium, including FO, at 1 m and 100 m above the ground. Recently, our lab surveyed strawberries on the California Central Coast and discovered widespread sporodochia production by FO f. sp. fragariae. In lab tests, macroconidia from sporodochia on strawberries dislodged and colonized media under airflow from a fan. There is mounting evidence that airborne dispersal is more common among FO strains than previously thought and could play a significant role in FO epidemiology. This has important implications for disease management.