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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Salinas, California » Crop Improvement and Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #415925
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: Airborne dispersal of spores may be more common than typically thought

Author
item SACHER, GABRIEL - Pennsylvania State University
item CRANDALL, SHARIFA - Pennsylvania State University
item Leblanc, Nicholas
item Henry, Peter

Submitted to: American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/30/2024
Publication Date: 7/27/2024
Citation: Sacher, G., Crandall, S., LeBlanc, N.R., Henry, P.M. 2024. Revisiting Fusarium oxysporum epidemiology: Airborne dispersal of spores may be more common than typically thought. American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting, July 27-30, 2024, Memphis, Tennessee.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Host-specific strains of Fusarium oxysporum (FO) cause a vascular wilt disease in more than 100 plant species. As a competitive soil saprophyte, FO usually infects though the roots and can be considered a soilborne pathogen. However, FO is also known to form sporodochia on infested aboveground plant tissue. Sporodochia have been described across many pathosystems, especially in greenhouses. Yet, since the 1970’s, airborne dispersal has been recognized in FO epidemiology when airborne spores appeared to recolonize steam-sanitized greenhouse soil. Later, FO infection of healthy plants via airborne spores was confirmed on both tomato and basil. 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 California strawberry fields and discovered widespread sporodochia production by FO f. sp. fragariae (FOF). In lab tests, macroconidia from sporodochia on FOF infected strawberries dislodged and colonized media or autoclaved soil (but not untreated soil) following airflow from a fan or compressed air, respectively. In growth chambers, all plants challenged with FOF developed sporodochia, though plants grown in high humidity had significantly more. There is mounting evidence both that airborne dispersal is more common among FO strains than previously thought, and this dispersal could play a significant role in FO epidemiology. Aerial dispersal has important implications for disease management, especially in fumigation reliant systems.