Bayesian analyses of five gene regions reveal a new phylogenetic species of Macrophomina associated with charcoal rot on oilseed crops in Brazil

Identification and pathogenicity of Macrophomina species collected from weeds in melon fields in Northeastern Brazil

“…Claudino and Soares () hypothesized that in addition to M. phaseolina , other species of Macrophomina could be present in Brazil. This was recently confirmed by the report of M. euphorbiicola and M. pseudophaseolina associated with charcoal rot of oilseed crops in this country (Machado et al, ). In this context, the increasing economic importance of RRVD of melons associated with M. phaseolina in Northeastern Brazil, as well as the existing reports of weeds as hosts of this fungus (Fuhlbohm et al, ; Rodrigues, ; Sales Júnior et al, ), suggests that more than one species of Macrophomina may be also present on weeds growing in melon fields in this region.…”

“…In recent studies, this gene demonstrated to have potential for use as a tool to identify known species of Macrophomina and other Botryosphaeriaceae spp. in diagnostic studies (Machado, Pinho, & Pereira, ; Machado et al, ; Sarr et al, ).…”

“…The translation elongation factor‐1 alpha ( tef‐1α ) was used as the Macrophomina species marker (Machado et al, ; Sarr et al, ). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifications were performed using Horse‐Power™ Taq DNA Polymerase (Canvax Biotech SL, Córdoba, Spain) and the primers EF728F and EF986R (Carbone & Kohn, ).…”

“…Soares & O.L. Pereira (Machado, Pinho, Soares, Medeiros‐Gomes, & Pereira, ). These species are soilborne fungi but, M. phaseolina has a wider host range, being pathogenic to more than 500 crops and in non‐cultivated species (Farr & Rossman, ), including economically important hosts, such as common bean, cotton, sorghum and soybean (Baird & Brock, ; Baird, Watson, & Scruggs, ; Cruciol & Costa, ; Funnell‐Harris, O’neill, Sattler, & Yerka, ; Rusuku, Buruchara, Gatabazi, & Pastor‐Corrales, ).…”

“…Macrophomina phaseolina has a worldwide distribution, but it is considered economically more important in subtropical and tropical countries with semi‐arid climate (Wrather et al, ,). On the contrary, M. euphorbiicola has been described affecting only Jatropha gossypifolia and Ricinus communis in Brazil (Machado et al, ), and M. pseudophaseolina affecting Abelmoschus esculentus , Arachis hypogaea , Hibiscus sabdarifa and Vigna unguiculata in Senegal (Sarr et al, ) and A. hypogaea , Gossypium hirsutum and R. communis in Brazil (Machado et al, ) .…”