Morphological and molecular characterization of fusarium species causing root rot diseases on wheat and barley

Fusarium spp. is an important soil pathogen group that causes root and root rot diseases in wheat and barley production areas and causes economic yield losses. In this study, the identification of Fusarium species, root and root collar pathogens of diseased plants obtained from important wheat and barley cultivation areas of Azerbaijan, was carried out using morphological and molecular methods. Potato dextrose agar (PDA) and synthetic nutrient agar (SNA) media were used for morphological characterization of a total of 200 isolates isolated and purified from diseased plant tissues. Identification of pathogen species in molecular studies was performed based on the sequence of Translation Elongation Factor 1-α (Ef-1α) gene region. Neighbor joining showed that the isolates were grouped at the species level in the phylogenetic tree. As a result of morphological and molecular characterization studies, the isolates were F. culmorum (80), F. acuminatum (67), F. pseudograminearum (17), F. equiseti (14), F. proliferatum (9), F. oxysporum (7), and F. graminearum (6). When the pathogenic reactions of the isolates representing the species on Series 82 (a spring wheat variety) were examined, F. culmorum (3,59) was the highest disease group followed by F. pseudograminearum 3,49 and 3,23 with F. graminearum. The other species did not produce statistically significant disease compared to control plants and it was determined that these isolates were not pathogenic. It is recommended that F. culmorum, F. acuminatum and F. pseudograminearum species emerged as important pathogens in this study should be included in the national breeding and disease management programs.