Open Access

ARTICLE

First Report of Fusarium striatum Causing Root Rot Disease of Panax notoginseng in Yunnan, China

by Xuan Zhou^1,2,3,#, Chongyu Luo^1,2,3,#, Kuixiu Li^1,2,3, Dan Zhu³, Lihui Jiang^1,2,3, Lixia Wu^1,2,3, Youchun Li³, Xiahong He^1,2,3,*, Yunlong Du^1,2,3,*

1 College of Plant Protection, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China
2 Key Laboratory of Agro-Biodiversity and Pest Management of Education Ministry of China, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China
3 State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China

* Corresponding Authors: Xiahong He. Email: ; Yunlong Du. Email:
# These authors have contributed equally to this work

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2022, 91(1), 13-20. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2022.016972

Received 15 April 2021; Accepted 21 June 2021; Issue published 16 August 2021

Abstract

Panax notoginseng is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant. Root rot of P. notoginseng is one of the most serious diseases affecting P. notoginseng growth and causes wilted leaves, fewer lateral roots and rotten roots. Root rot is a soil-borne disease, and mainly occurs from June to August in Yunnan Province when the temperatures are high and the air is humid. In this study, the endophytic fungal genus Fusarium isolate E-2018.1.22-#3.2 was obtained from a P. notoginseng embryo. Fusarium isolate E-2018.1.22-#3.2 was identified as Fusarium striatum based on morphological characteristics and molecular analysis. The fungus was found to have conidiophores and macroconidia, and its ITS, LSU and TEF-1α genes shared 100%, 99.2% and 99% identities with the homologous genes of Fusarium striatum, respectively. Isolate F. striatum E-2018.1.22-#3.2 can cause root rot symptoms, including black, soft roots, fewer lateral roots and leaf wilt, in 93% of the experimental P. notoginseng plants, and could be re-isolated, fulfilling Koch’s postulates. When the P. notoginseng plants were treated with the fungicide pyraclostrobin, isolate F. striatum E-2018.1.22-#3.2 was unable to cause root rot. We have therefore demonstrated that F. striatum E-2018.1.22-#3.2 is able to cause root rot disease in P. notoginseng. This is the first report of root rot disease caused by F. striatum on P. notoginseng in China.

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Keywords

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