Morphological, physiological and molecular characterization of Fusarium lacertarum causal agent of damping-off in Casuarina equisetifolia

Abstract

Casuarina (Casuarina equisetifolia L.) is a species used like wind break, in streets ornamentation, soils conservation and dunes fixation. The main form of propagation of this species is by seeds, although, in nursery, the fungus Fusarium lacertarum have been cause damping-off in seedlings. Thus, the objective of this work was to characterize morphologically, physiologically and molecularly the pathogen. To molecular characterization, pure colonies were cultivated in PDA and LCA culture media, and for physiological characterization, colonies were cultivated in PDA, SNA, Mathur and V8 culture media. The genomic segment most appropriated to identify this species was the tef1-?. The causal agent of damping-off in Casuarina equisetifolia seedlings was confirmed like F. lacertarum, and the most efficient genomic region to identification is tef1-?. The best incubation condition to conidia production of F. lacertarum was in Mathur medium and the largest daily average growth was in SNA medium. The morphological characteristics are equivalent to the characterization of F. incarnatum-equiseti species complex isolated.