Characterization and Comparison of Isolates ofRhizoctonia solaniAG-7 from Arkansas, Indiana, and Japan, and Select AG-4 Isolates

Abstract

Superficially, isolates of Rhizoctonia solani AG-7 and AG-4 appear to have similar cultural morphologies, and AG-7 isolates are often mistakenly identified as AG-4. It is important, therefore to develop methods for separation of AG-7 cultures from AG-4. A cultural characterization of R. solani AG-7 isolates from Arkansas, Indiana, and Japan showed only minor morphological differences between the groups but the Japanese isolates had areolate hyphae to woolly tufts of mycelium after growing for 21 days on potato dextrose agar (PDA). Also, isolates of AG-7 had pitted sclerotial clusters and a brownish exudate after 21 days on PDA whereas isolates of AG-4 did not. These cultural characteristics could be used to separate AG-7 from AG-4 as a preliminary test to determine the need for anastomosis pairing. Radial growth rates were greatest at the cardinal temperatures 30 to 35°C for all isolates, and radial growth rates of the Japanese tester isolates were 1 to 2 cm greater than those of any other cultures of AG-7 or AG-4. Greenhouse and field studies were conducted to determine pathogenicity of R. solani AG-7 on watermelon, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), and soybean (Glycine max) plants. Results from a greenhouse trial showed the R. solani AG-7 isolates significantly reduced (P ≤ 0.05) stands of cotton and watermelon. Stands of soybean grown in infested and noninfested soil were similar although lesions caused by R. solani AG-7 were consistently found on roots of infested plants. Two field trials were conducted in 1994. Similar significantly different results occurred between the treatments in field trial 1 and in the greenhouse study, but no treatment differences were observed in field trial 2. A confounding factor during field trial 2 was the presence of the pathogen R. solani AG-4, which was isolated from 20% of the plant lesions, compared with 5% in field trial 1. In field trial 3, AG-7 isolates 92.123.B (Arkansas), and 413 1-3F (Indiana) significantly reduced stands of cotton, compared with the noninfested control plots. Isolate RHS 109 (AG-4) was similar to 92.123.B in reducing the cotton plant stand.