Pathogenic characterisation and mating type analses of ascochyta blight agent, didymella rabiei, isolated from wild cicer spp

Didymella rabiei (Kovachevski) vonArx [anamorph: Ascochyta rabiei (Passerini) Labrousse] is a necrotrophic fungal phytopathogen that effect all above grown plant parts cause Ascochyta blight in chickpea and wild Cicer spp exhibiting host specification. This study determined mating type analyses, ecologic and pathogenic characterization D. rabiei isolated from wild annual (C. reticulatum, C. echinospermum, C. pinnatifidum, C. bijugum) and perennial (C. anatolicum, C isauricum) Cicer spp. A total of 200 D. rabiei isolates from C. pinnatifidum were subjected to PCR-based mating type analyses and distribution was determined. Mat1-1 and Mat1-2 ratio of the population did not exhibit difference and all the isolates were found to be Mat1-2. Virulence analyses of isolates from wild Cicer spp, C. reticulatum, C. pinnatifidum and C. anatolicum together with C. arietinum originated isolates were compared. The virulence levels were 42.11%, 32.53%, 22.76% and 10.72% for C. reticulatum, C. arietinum, C. pinnatifidum and C. anatolicum originated isolates, respectively. In order to determine the soil structure of natural habitats of wild Cicer spp, soil samples of 3 different Cicer spp from 5 location were analyses for saturation, salt, pH, lime, organic matter and ion content. C. reticulatum and C. anatolicum originated D. rabiei isolates were reported for the first time in the world literature by this study. Key words: Wild Cicer spp, Didymella rabiei, mating type, virulence level