Diversity and frequency of fungal genera from sorghum lines inoculated with Alternaria alternata alone and in combination with Curvularia lunata and Fusarium thapsinum in a field infected with anthracnose

Abstract

Sorghum grain mold is a disease associated with number of fungal genera. In this study, mycoflora analysis of seeds obtained from 91 accessions, including those from the sorghum association panel was conducted. Accessions were inoculated with A. alternata alone, mixture of A. alternata, F. thapsinum, and C. lunata, and water-sprayed control during two growing seasons. Alternaria alternata alone treatment showed Colletotrichum sublineola was the most recovered fungal species followed by A. alternata, and Fusarium spp. Seeds from panicles inoculated with a mixture of A. alternata, F. thapsinum, and C. lunata revealed F. thapsinum, followed by C. lunata, C. sublineola and A. alternata as the most frequently isolated species. In the control treatment, A. alternata and C. sublineola were the most frequently recovered fungal species. Fusarium proliferatum, Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, F. chlamydposporum, F. verticillioides, Rhizopus spp., and Penicillium spp. were also recovered but in low percentages. Due to the large number of fungi associated with the disease, management can be challenging. Studies like this allows for the identification of other grain mold fungi infecting or contaminating sorghum grain in a field. Thus, using those fungi species in a particular region, either individually or in combination to screen germplasm for resistance or tolerance to this disease complex is recommended. Keywords: Mycoflora, Sorghum, Grain Mold, Fungal Species, Alternaria alternata, Fusarium thapsinum, Curvularia lunata