Cryptic diversity, multilocus phylogeny, and pathogenicity of cercosporoid fungi associated with common bean and cowpea

Abstract

In recent years, common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) plants in the north of Iran have exhibited symptoms resembling Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) disease. This study was initiated to elucidate the taxonomy and pathogenicity of cercosporoid taxa associated with leaf spot diseases of these two legume crops in Iran. A total of 138 samples with CLS symptoms were collected from cultivated common bean and cowpea species in northern Iran and subjected to microscopic examination, resulting in identification of 98 Cercospora and 59 Pseudocercospora samples. A six‐locus phylogenetic analysis (ITS, actA, tef1, gapdh, his3, and cmdA) coupled with examination of the morphology of 42 representative isolates from these samples confirmed that several cercosporoid fungi occur on common bean and cowpea in Iran. Five Cercospora species (C. iranica, C. cf. flagellaris, Cercospora sp. G, Cercospora sp. T, and C. vignigena) and two Pseudocercospora species (P. griseola f. griseola and P. cf. cruenta) were found; of these, C. cf. flagellaris was the dominant species, occurring on both common bean and cowpea. Pathogenicity tests confirmed that all seven species could infect leaves of common bean and/or cowpea. This is the first report of C. iranica, Cercospora sp. G, and Cercospora sp. T associated with common bean and/or cowpea in the world. In addition, C. vignigena was recorded for the first time in Iran. Results achieved in this study will assist strategies for the management of CLS disease of common bean and cowpea.