Fusarium solani and F. oxysporum: Etiological agents of damping off in crambe

Abstract

The association of Fusarium sp. with agricultural seeds is a limiting factor for the uniform establishment of the crop. The aim of this work was to identify six isolates of Fusarium at the species level, based on morphological and molecular markers (TEF-1? and ?tub); and to verify the pathogenicity of these isolates to the seeds of Crambe abyssinica (crambe). The pathogenicity test was carried out through the contact of the seeds with the fungal culture for 48 hours, followed by sowing in sand. The variables evaluated were: percentage of emergence at 30 days and damping off. The Fusarium species identified were F. solani (FCa/3, FCa/7.2 and FCa/10) and F. oxysporum (FCa/4, FCa/2 and FCa/8). The FCa/3, FCa/4 and FCa/7.2 isolates were pathogenic to crambe seedlings, causing reduction in the percentage of emergence and damping off.