Diversity and pathogenicity of Fusarium spp. isolated from cultivated sorghum stems and roots in eastern Australia

Abstract

Stalk and root rots of cultivated sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) are caused by several Fusarium species worldwide. This study evaluated Fusarium diversity, pathogenicity and population structure amongst 212 isolates obtained from 169 sorghum plants from commercial field crops in eastern Australia. Sequences of translation elongation factor‐1α (tef‐1α), RNA polymerase II largest subunit (rpb1), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2) and calmodulin (cmdA) were used to construct multilocus phylogenies that enabled the identification of 16 Fusarium species in Fusarium chlamydosporum species complex (FCSC), Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC), Fusarium incarnatum‐equiseti species complex and Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC). The majority of isolates (n = 171) belonged to FFSC. The pathogenicity of 17 selected isolates was determined by artificial inoculation of sorghum seedlings and completing Koch's postulates. Isolates of species in FFSC were significantly (p < 0.05) more aggressive as root pathogens in sorghum seedlings than isolates of other species tested and widely distributed across all sampling sites. Amongst the 35 isolates of FOSC, 26 belonged to Fusarium cili, which is only known as an endophyte from healthy roots of Rosa roxburghii in China. Fusarium sporodochiale (in FCSC) and Fusarium contaminatum (in FOSC) are reported as sorghum seedling root rot pathogens for the first time.