Diversity of fungal pathogens associated with loquat and development of novel virulence scales

PLoS One. 2021 Oct 14;16(10):e0257951. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257951. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Loquat [Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.] is an important fruit crop in Pakistan; however, a constant decline in its production is noted due biotic and abiotic stresses, particularly disease infestation. Fungal pathogens are the major disease-causing agents; therefore, their identification is necessary for devising management options. This study explored Taxila, Wah-Cantt, Tret, Chatar, Murree, Kalar-Kahar, Choa-Saidan-Shah and Khan-Pur districts in the Punjab and Khyber Paktoon Khawa (KPK) provinces of Pakistan to explore the diversity of fungal pathogens associated with loquat. The samples were collected from these districts and their microscopic characterizations were accomplished for reliable identification. Alternaria alternata, Curvularia lunata, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Aspergilus flavis, Botrytis cinerea, Chaetomium globosum, Pestalotiopsis mangiferae and Phomopsis sp. were the fungal pathogens infesting loquat in the study area. The isolates of A. alternata and C. lunata were isolated from leaf spots and fruit rot, while the isolates of L. theobromae were associated with twig dieback. The remaining pathogens were allied with fruit rot. The nucleotide evidence of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions (ITS1, 5.8S, and ITS2) were computed from all the pathogens and submitted in the database of National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). For multigene analysis, beta-tubulin (BT) gene and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) regions were explored for A. alternata and C. lunata isolates, respectively. The virulence scales of leaf spots, fruit rot, and twig dieback diseases of loquat were developed for the first time through this study. It is the first comprehensive study with morpho-molecular identification, and newly developed virulence scales of the fungal pathogens associated with loquat, which improves the understanding of these destructive diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Retracted Publication

MeSH terms

  • Ascomycota / genetics
  • Ascomycota / pathogenicity*
  • Biodiversity*
  • Crops, Agricultural / microbiology*
  • DNA, Fungal / genetics
  • Eriobotrya / microbiology*
  • Fruit / microbiology
  • Mitosporic Fungi / genetics
  • Mitosporic Fungi / pathogenicity*
  • Pakistan
  • Phylogeny
  • Plant Diseases / microbiology*
  • Plant Leaves / microbiology
  • Virulence

Substances

  • DNA, Fungal

Grants and funding

This work was supported by projects of the national Nature Science Foundation (No. 32060679) and projects of Guizhou University (No. GuidapeiYU[2019]52 and No. [2017]50).This study was financed by Taif University Researchers Supporting Project number (TURSP-2020/38), Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia. There were no additional external funding involved in the study. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.