Interactions of Maize-Pathogenic Fusarium Species with Macrophomina phaseolina Shed Light on Host Preference in Crop Rotation

Articles in Press
Authors
A. Görmez 1
S. Yüceer 2
T. Talapov 1
C. Can 1
1 Gaziantep University
2 Biological Control Research Institute
Abstract
Survey studies during the 2021–2022 maize growing season in Türkiye’s Central and Southeastern Anatolia Regions identified Fusarium species in seven provinces (Eskişehir, Konya, Karaman, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Mardin, and Diyarbakır). Pathogenicity tests revealed 31 pathogenic isolates among 115 Fusarium spp., with three isolates causing the highest disease severity at a 50% infection rate. These isolates showed moderate pathogenicity in stems and weak pathogenicity in roots. For species identification, EF-1alpha and RPB regions of 28 isolates were amplified, and sequences were compared to the NCBI database via BLAST analysis. Results indicated Fusarium proliferatum, F. subglutinans, and F. verticillioides as the dominant species. Cross-pathogenicity tests with F. proliferatum, F. subglutinans, F. verticillioides, and Macrophomina phaseolina, alone and in combinations, were performed on barley, wheat, bean, corn, garlic, sorghum, and oat genotypes. All tested plants showed varying disease severity, with garlic being the most affected. M. phaseolina exhibited the least pathogenicity, while its combination with F. verticillioides caused the greatest damage. These findings are particularly significant considering the pathogens' disease impacts and mycotoxin production capacities.

Keywords

Subjects

Aktaş, A., Bolat, N., Keser, M. and İnce, T. 2000. Identification of wheat root rot pathogens in Eskişehir Province and determination of wheat and barley genotypes resistant to Drechslera sorokiniana (Sacc.) Subram. and Jain. Plant Protection Bulletin, 40(1-2): 71-83.
Altınok, H. H. and Can, C. 2010. Characterization of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melongenae isolates from eggplant in Turkey by pathogenicity, VCG, and RAPD analysis. Phytoparasitica, 38(2): 149-157.
Altınok, H. H. and Kamberoğlu, M. A. 2005. Prevalence and severity of Fusarium and Verticillium wilt diseases in eggplant production areas in Adana and Mersin provinces. Çukurova University Journal of Agriculture Faculty, 19(4): 1-8.
Anisimova, O. K., Shchennikova, A. V., Kochieva, E. Z. and Filyushin, M. A. 2021. Pathogenesis-Related Genes of PR1, PR2, PR4, and PR5 Families Are Involved in the Response to Fusarium Infection in Garlic (Allium sativum L.). International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22: 6688.
Aoki, T., O’Donnell, K. and Geiser, D. M. 2014. Systematics of key phytopathogenic Fusarium species: current status and future challenges. Journal of General Plant Pathology, 80: 189–201.
Bağcı, S. A., Hekimhan, H., Arısoy, R. Z., Taner, A., Büyük, O., Nicol, J. and Aydoğdu, M. 2010. Effect of different rotation systems on wheat root and crown rot disease. Plant Research Journal 2: 25–30.
Bangar, S. P., Sandhu, K. S., Trif, M., Manjunatha, V. and Lorenzo, J. M. 2022. Germinated Barley Cultivars: Effect on Physicochemical and Bioactive Properties. Food Analytical Methods, 1-8.
Biles, C. L. and Martyn, R. D. 1989. Local and systemic resistance induced in watermelons by formae speciales of Fusarium oxysporum. Phytopathology, 79: 856–860.
Booth, C., 1971. The genus Fusarium. Kew, England: Commonwealth Mycological Institute.
Burgess, L. W., Summerell, B. A., Bullock, S., Gott, K. P. and Backhouse, D. 1994. Laboratory manual for Fusarium research (3rd ed.). Department of Crop Sciences, University of Sydney.
Can, C., Elekçioğlu, H., Yücel, S. and Özaslan, M. 2003. Identification of Fusarium species causing wilt in tomatoes in greenhouses, their relationship with nematodes in disease development, and control options. TÜBİTAK (TOGTAG Project No: TARP-2371). Final report.
Cengiz, R., 2016. Maize Research of Public Sector in Turkey, Journal of Field Crops Central Research Institute, 25 (Special issue-1): 304-310.
Crous, P. W., Lombard, L., Sandoval-Denis, M. and et al. 2021. Fusarium: more than a node or a foot-shaped basal cell. Studies In Mycology, 98: 100-116.
Dixon, R. A., and Paiva, N. L. 1995. Stress-induced phenylpropanoid metabolism. The Plant Cell, 7(7): 1085-1097.
Early, R., 2009. Pathogen control in primary production: crop foods. In: Foodborne Pathogens. 2nd Edition, Woodhead Publishing, UK. pp. 205-279.
Ekwomadu, T. I., 2019. Occurrence and Variation of Fusarium Free and Masked Mycotoxins in Maize from Agriculture Regions of South Africa. Doctoral Dissertation, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Erper, I., Karaca, G. H. and Özkoç, I. 2008. Root rot disease incidence and severity on some legume species grown in Samsun and the fungi isolated from roots and soils. Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection, 41(7): 501-506.
Eslahi, M. R., Safaie, N., Saidi, A., Shams-bakhsh, M., and Jafary, H. 2021. cDNA-AFLP analysis of plant defense genes expressed in wheat (cv. Chamran) infected with Mycosphaerella graminicola. Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, 23(3): 699-710.
Farooqui, A. S., Syed, H. M., Talpade, N. N., Sontakke, M. D., and Ghatge, P. U. 2018. Influence of germination on chemical and nutritional properties of barley flour. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 7(2): 3855-3858.
Hammerschmidt, R., 1999. Phytoalexins: What have we learned after 60 years? Annual Review of Phytopathology, 37: 285-306.
Haware, M. P. and Nene, Y. L. 1982. Races of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri. Plant Disease, 66: 809-810.
Hekimhan, H., Bağcı, S. A., Nicol, J. and Tunalı, B. 2005. Effects of root and root rot disease agents on some winter cereal yields. Proceedings of the VIth Field Crops Congress of Turkey, September 5–9, 2005, Research Presentation, Volume I, pp. 201–206, Antalya.
Ismail, M. A., Abdel-Hafez, S. I. I., Hussein, N. A. and Abdel-Hameed, N. A. 2015. Contributions to the genus Fusarium in Egypt with dichotomous keys for identification of species. Szkółkarska, 88B, 62-002 Suchy Las, Poland.
Jain, P. K., Gupta, V. K., Misra, A. K., et al. 2011. Current status of Fusarium infection in human and animal. Asian Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 6: 201–227.
Kabak, B. and Var, I. 2005. Fusarium toxins. Food and Feed Science and Technology, 8: 30-42.
Karlsson, I., Edel-Hermann, V., Gautheron, N., Durling, M. B., Kolseth, A. K., Steinberg, C., Persson, P. and Friberg, H. 2016. Genus-specific primers for study of Fusarium communities in field samples. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 82: 491–501.
Lampkin, N., 1997. Organic farming (Reprint ed.). Ipswich: Farming Press Books.
Leslie, J. F. and Summerell, B. A. 2006. The Fusarium Laboratory Manual. Blackwell Publishing: Hoboken, NJ, ABD.
Ma, L. J., Geiser, D. M., Proctor, R. H., Rooney, A. P., O’Donnell, K., Trail, F., Gardiner, D. M., Manners, J. M. and Kazan, K. 2013. Fusarium Pathogenomics. Annual Review of Microbiology, 67: 399-416.
Makoi, J. H. J. R. and Ndakidemi, P. A. 2007. Biological, ecological and agronomic significance of plant phenolic compounds in rhizosphere of the symbiotic legumes. African Journal of Biotechnology, 6: 1358–1368.
Mittler, R., 2002. Oxidative stress, antioxidants and stress tolerance. Trends in Plant Science, 7(9): 405-410.
Munkvold, G., 2003. Epidemiology of Fusarium diseases and their mycotoxins in maize ears. European Journal of Plant Pathology, 109(7): 705-713.
Munkvold, G. P. and Leslie, J. F. 1999. Fusarium root rot diseases. In D. G. White (Ed.), Compendium of corn diseases (3rd ed., p. 13). The American Phytopathological Society.
Muyolo, N. G., Lipps, P. E. and Schmitthenner, A. F. 1993. Anastomosis grouping and variation in virulence among isolates of Rhizoctonia solani associated with dry bean and soybean in Ohio and Zaire. Phytopathology, 83(4): 438-444.
Nelson, P. E., Toussoun, T. A. and Marasas, W. F. O. 1983. Fusarium species: An illustrated manual for identification. Pennsylvania State University Press.
O’Donnell, K., Ward, T. J., Robert, V., Crous, P. W., Geiser, D. M. and Kang, S. 2015. DNA sequence-based identification of Fusarium: Current status and future directions. Phytoparasitica, 43(5): 583–595.
Özgönen, H., 2011. Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on plant growth and Verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae Kleb.) in cotton. Süleyman Demirel University, Journal of Science Institute, 15(3): 171-177.
Palmero, D., Gálvez, L., García, M., Gil-Serna, J. and Benito, S. 2013. The effects of storage duration, temperature and cultivar on the severity of garlic clove rot caused by Fusarium proliferatum. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 78: 34–39.
Płażek, A. 2013. Induced resistance in plants to fungal diseases. Postępy Nauk Rolniczych, 6(1): 59-75.
Saremi, H. and Burgess, L. W. 2000. Effect of Soil Temperature on Distribution and Population Dynamics of Fusarium Species. Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, 2(2): 119-125.
Seifert, K. 1996. Fuskey-Fusarium interactive key. Agriculture and AgriFood Canada.
Skadhauge, B., Thomsen, K. K. and Von Wettstein, D. 1997. The Role of the Barley Testa Layer and its Flavonoid Content in Resistance to Fusarium Infections. Hereditas, 126: 147-160.
Smith, J. E. 2001. Mycotoxins. In Food Chemical Safety 1:332.
Su, G., Suh, S. O., Schneider, R. W. and Russin, J. S. 2001. Host specialization in the charcoal rot fungus, Macrophomina phaseolina. Phytopathology, 91(1): 120-126.
Townsend, G. R. and Heuberger, I. W. 1943. Methods of estimating losses caused by diseases in fungicide experiments. The Plant Disease Reporter, 27: 340–343.
Turkish Statistical Institute. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2024, from https://www.tuik.gov.tr/
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). (n.d.). Retrieved January 30, 2024, from https://www.usda.gov/
Van Loon, L. C., Rep, M. and Pieterse, C. M. J. 2006. Significance of induced resistance in plants for sustainable crop protection. Annual Review of Phytopathology, 44: 309-332.
Vural, S. and Soylu, S. 2012. Prevalence and incidence of fungal disease agents affecting bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants. Research on Crops, 13(2): 634-640.
Yıldırım, A. F., Araz, A., Turgay, B., Ünal, F. and Büyük, O. 2016. Root and Root Collar Past, Present and Struggle in Cool Climate Cereals, General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies, Agricultural Control Central Research Institute. 1-104.
Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 16 September 2025