Identification and pathogenicity of Fusarium spp., the causal agent of wheat crown and root rot in Iran

Crown and root rot are among the most important wheat diseases caused by Fusarium species. The aim of this study was the identification of Fusarium spp. isolates obtained from wheat with crown and root rot symptoms in Yazd province of Iran, based on morphological and molecular characteristics. The ef1/ef2 and ITS4/ITS5 primers were used for molecular identification of the isolates. The results of morphological and molecular investigations revealed that among 40 isolates, 11 isolates were identified as F. equiseti, six isolates as F. pseudograminearum, five isolates as F. culmorum, five isolates as F. flocciferum, four isolates as F. acuminatum, four isolates as F. oxysporum, three isolates as F. solani and two isolates as F. proliferatum. Pathogenicity of the isolates was evaluated on wheat cultivar Falat. Comparing pathogenicity of different Fusarium spp. isolates on wheat seedlings revealed that the highest level of disease index was observed for F. pseudograminearum, F. culmorum, F. flocciferum and F. solani and the lowest disease severity was observed for F. equiseti. This is the first report on the identification of Fusarium spp., causing wheat crown and root rot in Yazd province of Iran, and on pathogenicity of F. flocciferum on wheat.