Morphological and molecular diagnosis of fusarium spp., the disease agent in lentil (lens culinaris medik.) cultivated in Turkiye

This study aimed to morphologically and molecularly identify Fusarium spp. isolates causing crown rot disease in cultivated lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) and to assess their genetic diversity. Samples were collected from the Central Anatolia and Southeastern Anatolia regions of Turkey. Morphological identification was performed on a total of 98 isolates using SNA and PSA culture media for colony characterization. Molecular identification and genetic analyses were conducted on the 70 most virulent isolates. The Tef1-α gene region was amplified by PCR from these isolates. Molecular sequence analyses revealed that 38 isolates were F. oxysporum, 19 isolates F. redolens, 6 isolates F. proliferatum, 2 isolates F. verticillioides, 2 isolates F. solani, 2 isolates F. rhizicola and 1 isolate F. avenaceum. A Maximum Likelihood (ML) phylogenetic tree was constructed from the obtained sequences, and haplotype analysis identified 14 distinct haplotype groups. The analyses revealed genetic variation both within and among species and regions, and the haplotype networks illustrated potential evolutionary relationships among the isolates. These findings provide a scientific basis for the management and control of Fusarium-induced crown rot in lentil cultivation.