Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of Fusarium isolates obtained from Antalya tomato production areas

There are important biotic pathogens limiting production of tomatoes and their consume in Turkey. Soil-borne fungal Fusarium pathogens cause tomato root rot, browning in vascular tissues, wilting and chlorosis on leaves leading significant yield loss in tomato grown areas. Antalya and its districts are center of winter grown tomato where surveys were previously conducted, total 20 Fusarium isolates were determined. In this study, we aim to characterize avirulence and virulence situations of the Fusariıum isolates by molecular methods. There are 5 different tomato genotypes were inoculated with the 20 Fusarium isolates in pathogenicity tests. Specific primers which were developed from avirulence and virulence gene's regions of Fusarium isolates were amplified for their genotypes in molecular analyses. The pathogenicity tests revealed that 1st and 9th isolates of FORL and FOL 8 race 2 and FOL 2 race 3 isolates were most virulent found. Pathogenicity test also exhibited that 4 resistant and 1 susceptible commercial tomato varieties have gene-for-gene interaction with 13 FOL and 7 FORL isolates. Moleculer studies with 13 FOL and 7 FORL isolates showed that they do not have Avr1 gene but Avr2 and Avr3 genes were present in 5th and 13th FOL isolates. All tested 13 FOL and 7 FORL isolates have cell wall degrading Fga1, Snf1, Frp1, Chsv, Xy12, Fem1, Arg genes in the molecular analyses. The molecular and pathogenicity studies have identified possible virulence genes of Fusarium isolates and their counterpart in resistance genes of tomato plants revealing host-pathogen interactions. These results already enlightened Fusarium pathogens, further studies will reveal their target proteins in host tomato plants to gain resistance for host tomato plants.