Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » Vegetable Crops Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #413937
Research Project: Introgression of Disease Resistance and Tuber Quality Traits from Wild Species Relatives into Diploid Cultivated Potato

Location: Vegetable Crops Research

Title: Morpho-molecular identification of fusarium equiseti and fusarium oxysporum associated with symptomatic wilting of potato from Pakistan

Author
item BIBI, ARSH - National Institute Of Biotechnology And Genetic Engineering (NIBGE)
item MUBEEN, FATHIA - National Institute Of Biotechnology And Genetic Engineering (NIBGE)
item RIZWAN, ALI - National Institute Of Biotechnology And Genetic Engineering (NIBGE)
item ULLAH, IRFAN - Hazara University
item HAMMAD, MASOOMA - National Institute Of Biotechnology And Genetic Engineering (NIBGE)
item WASQUAS, MUHAMMAD - National Institute Of Biotechnology And Genetic Engineering (NIBGE)
item IKRAM, AYESHA - National Institute Of Biotechnology And Genetic Engineering (NIBGE)
item ABBAS, ZAHEER - National Agricultural Research Center - Pakistan
item Halterman, Dennis
item SAEED, NASIR AHMAD - National Institute Of Biotechnology And Genetic Engineering (NIBGE)

Submitted to: The Journal of Fungi
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/4/2024
Publication Date: 10/8/2024
Citation: Bibi, A., Mubeen, F., Rizwan, A., Ullah, I., Hammad, M., Wasquas, M.A., Ikram, A., Abbas, Z., Halterman, D.A., Saeed, N. 2024. Morpho-molecular identification of fusarium equiseti and fusarium oxysporum associated with symptomatic wilting of potato from Pakistan. The Journal of Fungi. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10100701.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10100701

Interpretive Summary: Potato is an important food crop worldwide. Fungal pathogens cause considerable losses in potato production from field to storage. The genus Fusarium is one of the most important phytopathogenic fungi, which causes potato wilt in the field and tuber dry rot during storage. We have identified multiple species of Fusarium correlated with wilting symptoms in potato fields in Pakistan. Two of these species, F. oxysporum and F. equiseti, were determined to cause disease when isolates were used to reinfect healthy potato plants. This is the first time that F. equiseti was identified on wilted potatoes in Pakistan. We further evaluated the use of a biocontrol fungus, Trichoderma harzianum, for its ability to control disease by these two pathogens. We found that it was most effective against F. equiseti with 89% inhibition, followed by F. oxysporum with 65% inhibition. The obtained data on Fusarium equiseti will be helpful in future control strategies, including biocontrol of Fusarium wilt in potatoes caused by F. equiseti, which was previously only attributed to F. oxysporum.

Technical Abstract: Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the emerging staple crops in Pakistan. Punjab province is a major potato-growing area, with over 95% of the country’s potatoes produced there. Wilt is an emerging threat to the potato crop worldwide, including Pakistan. We have identified Fusarium spp associated with potato wilt in Pakistan and characterized them using molecular analys. The potato wilt was sampled in the 2020-2022 potato seasons from five major potato-growing regions: Sahiwal, Chichawatni, Pakpattan, Kamalia, and Faisalabad. Based on morphology, ITS (internal transcribed spacer) sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis, six different species of Fusarium were identified: F. oxysporum, F. equiseti, F. incarnatum, F. fujikuroi, F. annulatum and F. thapsinum. Two species of Fusarium, F. oxysporum, and F. equiseti, were attributed to fusarium wilt in all the potato-growing regions after a pathogenicity tests in a glass house. Fusarium oxysporum was more prevalent in wilt samples, followed by Fusarium equiseti. This is the first identification of Fusarium equiseti species on wilted potatoes in Pakistan in addition to the already-known Fusarium oxysporum. Further in vitro biocontrol tests were evaluated using Trichoderma harzianum as a biocontrol agent. It was most effective against F. equiseti with 89% inhibition, followed by F. oxysporum with 65% inhibition. The obtained data on Fusarium equiseti will be helpful in future control strategies, including biocontrol of Fusarium wilt in potatoes caused by F. equiseti, which was previously only attributed to F. oxysporum.