Isolation and molecular characterization of Fusarium solani as a causal agent of Fusarium wilt on cowpea (Vigna unguiculata)

Adnan A. Lahuf, Rajaa G. Abdalmoohsin, Zainab L. Hameed

Abstract: During season of 2020, cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) plants exhibiting sever wilt symptoms were collected from several fields in Kerbala Province of Iraq. A fungus was consistently isolated from the symptomatic tissues and identified as Fusarium solani, based on its cultural and morphological features, as well as the sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor-1 alpha (TEF-1α) and actin (actA). The pathogenicity of this fungus was verified on cowpea plants that reproduced the typical wilt symptoms. The fungal pathogen was re-isolated from these diseased plants and reidentified. To best of our knowledge, this is the first record of F. solani causing cowpea wilt in Kerbala, Iraq.

Keywords: Cowpea; Fusarium solani; wilt disease

Date published: 2023-10-20