Anastomosis Groups and Pathogenicity of Rhizoctonia Species From Strawberry Plants in Erzurum Province, Turkey

Abstract

Black root rot in strawberry is a disease complex of several different fungi including Rhizoctonia species. This study was carried out to identify anastomosis groups and pathogenicity of Rhizoctonia isolates from the root of strawberry plants in the province of Erzurum, in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey. Three hundred and six Rhizoctonia isolates were obtained, and their anastomosis groups (AGs) were identified. Of these isolates, 17.3 % were Rhizoctonia solani, and 82.7 % were binucleate Rhizoctonia. R. solani isolates were determined as AG-2-1 (2 isolates) and AG-3 (51 isolates), and binucleate Rhizoctonia isolates were AG-A (186 isolates), AG-G (56 isolates), AG-H (4 isolates) and AG-K (7 isolates). The selected isolates representing the each anastomosis group were subjected to sequence analysis and the results were also confirmed as molecular. In pathogenicity tests on strawberry plants (cv. Fern), the most virulent groups were determined as AG-A, AG-G, AG-K and AG-3, whereas the weak virulent ones were AG-H and AG-2-1. The anastomosis groups of Rhizoctonia isolates obtained from strawberry plants in Turkey were determined for the first time in this study. Additionally, binucleate Rhizoctonia AG-H was also new record in Turkey.