A field experiment was performed to assess the susceptibility of Triticum aestivum L. var. Cham 6, Aras, and Baraka wheat local varieties, treated with Trichoderma harzianum Rifai bioagent, against seed gall infection. Anguina tritici identification was confirmed based on PCR amplification and sequence comparison of 18S small subunit ribosomal DNA. Sequence analysis showed A. tritici isolated from Waset and Kirkuk provinces shared 100% maximum nucleotide sequence identity with the equivalent GenBank sequences from Mexico (AF363107) and India (JF826516), respectively, suggesting their common origin. Field experiment revealed that T. aestivum L. var. Aras was less susceptible to seed call infection when scored 28.9% infectivity percent followed by Baraka and Cham 6 varieties which scored 29.6 and 33.1% infectivity, respectively. T. harzianum root watering treatment could decrease the disease incidence when scored 15.4, 17.5, and 19.7% compared to spraying treatment which scored 19.3, 20.8, and 22.4% infectivity, for Aras, Baraka, and Cham 6 varieties, respectively. Besides, root watering treatment reduced seed gall disease up to 46.71% compared to 33.22% for foliar spraying treatment. Thus, T. harzianum bioagent can be used as an ecofriendly nematicide alternative to control seed gall disease in Iraq.

The aim of this study is to investigate the molecular identification of the Iraqi truffles species and a better understanding of genetic diversity in the center of the truffles habitat. Thirty-two samples were collected from the Iraqi desert and local markets. Samples were chosen depending on the morphological diversity of the fruit body and sample collection area. Results of ITS region sequencing for the 32 samples showed two genuses Tirmania and Terfezia are the main dominant, 4 species of Tirmania pinoyi and 28 species of Terfezia claveryi. All species sequences were deposited in NCBI GenBank and all had accessions number. The neighbor-Joining method was used to generate a phylogenic tree to study the genetic diversity of the ITS sequences for the 32 Iraqi truffle samples. Results showed a high genetic diversity for the Iraqi truffles samples. The phylogenic study showed Iraqi truffles clustered with different groups as a clade with the reference sequences from other countries represent three continents Asia, Africa, and Europe. Also, we found in this study a unique cluster group for the Iraqi sequences for T. pinoyi and T. claveryi truffles cluster in one group and do not match with any reference sequences used in this study. This is a piece of strong evidence proofed the Iraqi habitat could be the origin of center diversity for the T. pinoyi and T. claveryi truffles.