First report of Fusarium asiaticum and Fusarium incarnatum in Algeria, and evaluation of their pathogenicity on wheat crown rot

Hamza Bouanaka, Ines Bellil, Djamila Benouchenne, Gema Nieto, Douadi Khelifi

Abstract: Fusarium crown rot (FCR), is one of the most serious wheat diseases. In this study one hundred and seventeen Fusarium symptomatic samples were collected in the North-east of Algeria. The obtained isolates (34), were identified on the basis of the morphological and the molecular data using phylogenetics. Accession numbers MW366557 and MW448396, were assigned by NCBI GenBank to isolate FE6 and FE8, identified as Fusarium asiaticum and F. incarnatum, respectively. A pathogenicity test was conducted on seven bread wheat cultivars (cv) to test their ability to induce FCR by the disease index (DS) parameter. The impact on coleoptile length and weight was estimated by the reduction parameters (RCL and RCW%). The results showed that the strains were saprophytic rather than pathogenic with negligible DS. A statistically significant decrease in coleoptile weight was recorded by FE6 (P = 0.03 ˂ 0.05), and FE8 (P = 0.017 ˂ 0.05). The cv. Medracen was mostly affected by this reduction with RCW% (11.90 and 35.96%). To the best of our knowledge, for the first time this work confirmed the existence of F. asiaticum and F. incarnatum species in Algeria.

Keywords: Fungus; Fusarium asiaticum; Fusarium incarnatum; pathogenicity; Wheat

Date published: 2023-10-20