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Myrothecium verrucaria causing needle blight disease on Blue pine (Pinus wallichiana): molecular characterization and host range

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Abstract

Laboratory and nursery experiments were conducted to identify the causal agent of a needle blight of Pinus wallichiana, a species native to the Western Himalayas. The pathogen was identified as Myrothecium verrucaria, on the basis of morphological, cultural and molecular characterization. BLAST analysis of ITS sequences of the pathogen revealed maximum sequence identity of 99% with M. verrucaria. The sequence is the first of this fungus from P. wallichiana. Phylogenetic analysis grouped all M. verrucaria isolates in a single clade; M. roridum and M. inundatum clustered in separate clades. The pathogen grew optimally at 25 ± 1 °C on oat meal agar, pH 5.5. Inoculation experiments with M. verrucaria demonstrated pathogenicity on Pinus halepensis, Cedrus deodara and Cryptomeria japonica, in addition to Pinus wallichiana.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are highly thankful to Dr. P.N. Choudhary, Director, National Centre for Fungal Taxonomy, New Delhi (India) for confirming the identity of the pathogen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Plant Pathology, S.K. University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, 190 025, India

    Gh. Hassan Dar, M. A. Beig, Mehraj-Ul-Din Shah, F. A. Ahanger & Asha Nabi

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  1. Gh. Hassan Dar
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  2. M. A. Beig
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  3. Mehraj-Ul-Din Shah
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  4. F. A. Ahanger
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Correspondence to Gh. Hassan Dar.

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Dar, G.H., Beig, M.A., Shah, MUD. et al. Myrothecium verrucaria causing needle blight disease on Blue pine (Pinus wallichiana): molecular characterization and host range. Eur J Plant Pathol 150, 427–437 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-017-1291-9

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