Abstract:Fusarium spp. isolated from diseased Euphorbia spp. in Europe were assessed for pathogenicity to North American leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula/virgata. Of the nine strains of Fusarium spp. isolated either from diseased E. stepposa or E. virgata in the Caucasus region of Russia and E. esula/virgata in southern France, respectively, all were pathogenic to leafy spurge. There were significant differences in virulence among strains. Four strains, including the two most virulent, were identified as F. oxysporum. Four of the five other strains were identified as F. solani and one was identified as F. proliferatum. Three of the four most virulent strains to leafy were isolated from E. stepposa. The most virulent strain was associated with root damage caused by insect biological control agents, similar to a previous study on domestic strains of Fusarium spp. pathogenic to leafy spurge. Two strains identified as F. solani were vegetatively compatible. It was concluded that further screening of a larger set of strains of foreign Fusarium spp. under quarantine conditions stateside or in limited overseas facilities is justified and promising.
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