Abstract
Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium spp. is an economically important fungal disease of tomato and brinjal production areas in Sri Lanka. The study was carried out to identify Fusarium isolates infecting tomato and brinjal, and endophytic antagonists bacteria against Fusarium wilt pathogen. The infected tomato and brinjal samples were collected from farmers’ fields in Matale, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Badulla districts and PCR was conducted using primers specific for species, races and formae speciales. Eight, nine and five isolates were identified as Fusarium solani, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici race 1 and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici, respectively from the wilt-infected tomato and brinjal collected from the four districts. Thirty endophytic bacterial isolates were isolated from healthy tomato and brinjal stems were antagonistic against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici and Fusarium solani. Molecular identification revealed that Pseudomonas geniculata strain ICPH-14, Pseudomonas sp. strain SB 904 (E7), Delftia tsuruhatensis strain MTQ 1, Stenotropomonas maltophilia strain ATCC 13637, Stenotropomonas pavanii strain ICB 89, and Bacillus velezensis strain C19 were among the potential endophytic antagonists.
Highlights
Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium solani is an economically important fungal disease of Solanaceous crops throughout the world
The bacterial endophytes which gave more than 30% colony growth inhibition of Fu 60 were further tested against F. oxysporum f. sp. trachephilum (Fu 29) and F. solani (Fu 11)
The present study identified the causal pathogens of Fusarium wilt of tomato and brinjal as Fusarium solani and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici
Summary
Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium solani is an economically important fungal disease of Solanaceous crops throughout the world. As F. oxysporum species are phylogenetically diverse and well known as a mycotoxin producer, its precise identification is of prime concern (Irzykowska et al, 2012). Radicis-lycopersici (FORL) causing Fusarium wilt and Fusarium crown and root rot, respectively and have been encountered more frequently in tomato-producing countries (Can et al, 2004). Identification of Fusarium species is traditionally based on fungal morphology. It is time-consuming and requires taxonomical expertise (Khosrow, 2016). The control of Fusarium wilt of tomato (S. lycopersicum L.) and brinjal (S. melongena L.) is difficult due to expression of field symptoms at a later stage of crop
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