The First Record of the Fungus Fusarium incarnatum (Desm.) Sacc., (1886) as a Potential Pathogen of Leaf Spot Disease on the Broad Bean Vicia faba L. in Iraq

Abstract

Isolation of the fungus Fusarium incarnatum (Desm.) Sacc. was performed at the laboratories of the College of Agriculture at the University of Basrah from infected bean plants showing symptoms of fungal leaf. The fungus identity was revealed depending on phenotypic and microscopic examination, as well as a molecular technique have been applied using an ITS primer (Its1 and 4), the results of phylogenetic analysis with a similarity index of 98% according to NCBI –BLAST tool (LC769967). The pathogenicity was determined according to Koch’s postulates, and severe symptoms were examined on the leaves of the broad bean plants during testing. This record is a significant as it is the first report of F. incarnatum causing spot symptoms on broad bean plants in Iraq and worldwide.