Identification and pathogenicity of Fusarium species associated with sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) seeds from the Punjab, Pakistan. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology, 102, 128-135. Please cite this article as: Nayyar BG, Woodward S, Mur LAJ, Akram A, Arshad M, Naqvi SMS, Akhund S, Identification and pathogenicity of Fusarium species associated with sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) seeds from the Punjab, Pakistan, Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology (2018), ABSTRACT 1 Sesame (Sesamum indicum) is an oil-crop in Asia and Africa and is widely grown in the 2 Punjab region of Pakistan. A total of 105 sesame seed samples were collected from different 3 locations in the Punjab from which 520 isolates of Fusarium spp. were recovered. These 4 isolates were initially grouped and identified based on morphological characteristics. The 5identities of representatives of the three most frequently isolated groups (strains designated 6 F01, F98, F153) were identified as Fusarium proliferatum, on the basis of the sequencing of 7 ITS of rDNA and translation elongation factor (TEF-1α) gene regions. Phylogenetic trees 8 generated using the maximum likelihood method showed that these three isolates and a F. 9 proliferatum reference sequence grouped in the same clade with F. phyllophilum, the most 10 closely related species. Pathogenicity tests demonstrated that these three isolates caused 11 disease on sesame plants. Disease Incidence (DI) and Disease Severity Index (DSI) data 12 indicated that F01 was the most virulent isolate, with DI and DSI of approximately 70%. 13Culture filtrates of F01 reduced sesame seed germination (to 40%) and vigor (to 16.5%) of 14 sesame seedlings. This baseline study suggests that F. proliferatum infection of sesame seeds 15 could be a major source of yield loss in the Punjab, Pakistan which requires further attention. 16 17
This study hypothesized that native people have unique traditional knowledge of plant resources in the rural areas and basic objective was the documentation of this valuable inheritance. Ethnobotanical data was collected from a remote rural area of Mandi Ahmad Abad, Union council number NA-144 Tehsil Depalpur District Okara, Pakistan. A total of 94 informants were randomly interviewed to collect data about local names of plant species, mode of administration, recipes and ailments, and ethnobotanical uses through semi-structured questionnaire, interviews and group discussion methods. The collected data was statistically analyzed by calculating use value (UV), frequency of citation (FC), relative frequency of citation (RFC), factor of informant consensus (FIC), family importance value, and relative importance (RI). This study is also compared with ethnobotanical literature by using Jaccard’s index (JI) for similarity analysis. A total of 126 species belonging to 52 families were documented. The Poaceae (13spp.), Leguminosae (12spp.), Solanaceae (10spp.) and Cucurbitaceae (10spp.) were dominant families. Highest used value (UV = 0.22) was obtained for Azadirachta indica. The minimum used value (UV) was showed by Alhagi maurorum, Eclipta prostrata, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Solanum virginianum and Trianthema potulacastrum (UV = 0.01). Hepatitis, stomach ulcer, bowel disorders, urinary problems, psoriasis, cancer, and leucoderma were the most treated ailments with ICF value of 1, followed by leucorrhea (ICF: 0.89), and vomiting (ICF: 0.86). The highest Jaccard’s similarity index value (JI = 0.329) showed that plant species reported in our study was more similar with Arid regions of Northern Punjab, Pakistan. This novel ethnobotanical report concluded that traditional knowledge about use of medicinal plants is decreasing due to allopathic medicines. Immediate steps should be taken for conservation and documentation of traditional knowledge of plants especially those having medicinal properties.
The Deuteromycetes fungal genus Alternaria comprises of different saprophytic as well as endophytic species which are very common and worldwide in their occurance. Importance host plants include several crops. Alternaria spp. generally attacks the aerial ptarts of its host and early blight diseases caused by these fungi inflict serious damage to these crops. There is a growing concern of Alternaria spp. due to their ability to produce mycotoxins with different toxicological properties, which are harmful for human and animal health. Accurate identification of Alternaria spp. and their metabolites is a crucial phase in the implementation of preventive measures and controls in the system from farm to fork. Considering the importance of Alternaria spp. occurance on crops and Alternaria toxins risk assesment, additional studies in this area are indispensable.
Various cultivars of red chilli were collected from a small town named Kunri, located in the province Sindh, Pakistan. This town is a hub of red chilli production in Asia. A total of 69 samples belonging to 6 cultivars were obtained and analysed for the occurrence of aflatoxins and Aspergillus flavus, to explore the potential of resistant and susceptible germplasm. Aflatoxins were detected by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), while A. flavus was isolated and identified using agar plate, blotter paper, deep freezing and dilution techniques. Molecular characterization using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1/4 and A. flavus specific FL1-F/R primers confirmed the identity of A. flavus. The data revealed that 67 and 75% samples contaminated with aflatoxin B (AFB) and with A. flavus, respectively. A highly susceptible chilli cultivar was 'Nagina', showing 78.8% frequency of total aflatoxins (1.2-600 μg/kg) and a mean of 87.7 μg/kg for AFB and 121.9 μg/kg for total aflatoxins. A. flavus was detected with 93% frequency and 2.14 × 10 colony forming units. In contrast, cultivars 'Kunri' and 'Drooping Type' were found to be resistant, with low levels of aflatoxins and fungal counts. The study was conducted for the first time to explore two potential cultivars that were less susceptible towards A. flavus and aflatoxin contamination. These cultivars could be preferably cultivated and thereby boost Pakistan's chilli production.
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