Identification of <i>Fusarium solani</i> f. sp. <i>cucurbitae</i> Causing Zucchini Fruit Rot in Inner Mongolia, China

oleh: Yongqing Yang, Zhengnan Li, Hongxia Sun, Caiyuan Jian, Qingping Zhang, Ziqin Li

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2023-09-01

Deskripsi

Fruit rot is one of the major diseases impacting the production and quality of zucchini (<i>Cucurbita pepo</i>). In August 2021, fruit rot symptoms were observed on the zucchini fruit ‘Jindi 1’ in the Wuyuan region in Inner Mongolia, China with an incidence ranging from 10% to 30%. Where the pepo was in contact with the soil, dark grey and spongy corky lesions 4–5 cm in diameter with a light brown halo were observed. The internal necrosis of the fruit rind was also recorded. From the affected fruits, fungal colonies belonging to the <i>Fusarium</i> species were exclusively isolated. Molecular analysis of the ITS, <i>TEF-1α</i>, and <i>RPB2</i> sequences identified the isolates as <i>Fusarium solani</i> f. sp. <i>cucurbitae</i>. Inoculated on ‘Jindi 1’, the strain Fx-1a induced typical fruit rot on the pepo and wilting on seedlings, while negative-controls remained asymptomatic. The impact of this disease on seed quality and yield in zucchini seed production needs to be further studied.