Morphological and molecular characterization of Fusarium spp. associated with Fusarium wilt disease of Piper nigrum L. in Northwestern region of Sarawak

Wan Joo Tan; Tu Anh Vu Thanh; Elissa Stella Rafael; Yi Shang Chen; Freddy Kuok San Yeo

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Morphological and molecular characterization of Fusarium spp. associated with Fusarium wilt disease of Piper nigrum L. in Northwestern region of Sarawak

Author: Wan Joo Tan ¹ ; Tu Anh Vu Thanh ¹ ; Elissa Stella Rafael ¹ ; Yi Shang Chen ² ; Freddy Kuok San Yeo ¹
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1. 1Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia.
2. Malaysia Pepper Board, Lot 1115, Jalan Utama, Tanah Putih, P.O. Box 1653, 93916 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: Fusarium; Fusarium wilt; Internal transcribed spacer (ITS); Piper nigrum L.; Black pepper
MeSH: Fusarium; Fusariosis; Piper nigrum
From:Malaysian Journal of Microbiology 2021;17(2):165-177
CountryMalaysia
Language:English
Abstract: Aims:Piper nigrum L. (black pepper) is an economically important commodity plant in Malaysia, which generated RM 200.95 million from pepper export in the year of 2018. However, the increase in pepper production is restricted by diseases. Fusarium wilt is one of the major diseases of P. nigrum L. The objectives for this study were to isolate Fusarium spp. associated with Fusarium wilt of P. nigrum L. from selected pepper farms in the northwestern region of Sarawak and to characterize the Fusarium spp. isolated morphologically and molecularly.
Methodology and results:Fusarium spp. were isolated from diseased root samples. The pathogen was grown on potato dextrose agar (PDA) under dark condition at circa (ca.) 25 °C for morphological characterisation. Molecular characterisation was done by using internal transcribed spacer (ITS). Phylogenetic tree was constructed to study the genetic relationship of the isolates. Fusarium solani, F. oxysporum, F. proliferatum were the three Fusarium species identified. There were variations in morphological characters observed between and among the species, including the colony form, margin, elevation, surface appearance and pigmentation. No distinctive morphological characteristic was specific to a location. In addition, growth rate, macroconidia sporulation rate, and microconidia sporulation rate of the isolates were not correlated. In molecular phylogeny, the three Fusarium species were separated into three distinct clades representing the three identified species. The genetic relatedness between isolates within each species was depicted in the tree.
Conclusion, significance and impact of study:Variations were observed among isolates in this study based on morphological and molecular characterization. This study would contribute information on the variations of Fusarium spp. associated with Fusarium wilt of P. nigrum L. from the northwestern region of Sarawak.
Full text:20.2021my0019.pdf