Estimation of the prevalence of wheat Septoria leaf blotch (Septoria tritici Rob. ex. Desm.) in the Eastern Mediterranean region and and molecular characterization of the pathogen

In this study, 260 different wheat fields were surveyed for the estimation of prevalence of septoria leaf blotch disease in the cities of Eastern Medditerranean Region. Out of 100 % of total wheat crop fields, 58.91% of wheat fields were infected with septoria leaf blotch disease. The mean value of septoria leaf blotch disease virulence was 11.62 %. Out of 142 diseased wheat crop samples, 74 isolates were obtained. Forty seven isolates from Adana, 3 isolates from Mersin, 3 isolates from Osmaniye, 14 isolates from Hatay and 7 isolates from Kahramanmaraş provinces were cultured on PDA-tetplates. The cause of disease agent was identified based on microscobic observation of morphological structure and molecular analysis methods. Consequently, 15 isolates were sequenced for 5′ and 3′ ends of ITS of rDNA and nblast of the ITS sequences has revealed that Septoria tritici was the agent of septoria leaf blotch disease. The highest disease prevalence (87.99%) was observed at Adana, and then followed respectively Osmaniye with 87.44 %, Kahramanmaraş with 43.59 %, Mersin with 42.68 % and Hatay with 26.03 %. The agent has been identified based on microscobic observation and Molecular analysis (PCR and ITS sequences). Fifteen isolates out of 74 has been sequenced 5′ and 3′ end of ITS, and then aligned by blastn in NCBI. The all results come up as S. tritici. The isolates of rDNA ITS have been deposited as KP852507, KP852508, KP852509, KP8525010, KP8525011, KP8525012, KP8525013, KP8525014, KP8525015, KP8525016, KP8525017, KP8525018, KP8525019, KP8525020, and KP8525021 in NCBI. According to phylogenetic tree built by Maximum Parsimony of ITS sequences, Isolates of CU_101 StM26 and CU_103 StA58 have been found origin of other Septoria tritici isolates. Two subclades have branched from these 2 isolates.