Fungi associated with boll and lint rot of cotton in Southern Khorasan province of Iran

• Published in: Archiv für Phytopathologie und Pflanzenschutz 2013-07, Vol.46 (11), p.1285-1294
• Main Authors: Mirzaee, M.R, Heydari, A, Zare, R, Naraghi, L, Sabzali, F, Hasheminasab, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: agar; Aspergillus niger; bolls; Cotton; cotton diseases; Disease; disease occurrence; etiology; Exserohilum; Exserohilum rostratum; Fungi; Fusarium incarnatum; Fusarium semitectum; Gossypium hirsutum; harvesting; Helicoverpa armigera; Khuskia oryzae; lint cotton; malt extract; mites; new pathogens; pathogenicity; pathogens; Penicillium expansum; Rhizopus; Siteroptes; Solanum tuberosum; surveys
• ISSN: 1477-2906; 0323-5408; 1477-2906
• DOI: 10.1080/03235408.2013.765135

During surveys of cotton fields since 2009 in the Southern Khorasan province of Iran, symptomatic samples with lint and boll rot disease signs were collected and cultured on potato dextrose, malt extract agar and PARPH media. Several fungal isolates were obtained and identified. Among them, we found Penicillium expansum which to our knowledge is reported as a new pathogen of cotton worldwide; Fusarium semitectum and Nigrospora oryzae (associated to mite Siteroptes sp.) were also recorded as lint or boll rot pathogens for the first time from Iran. Disease symptoms and fungal characteristics of Exserohilum rostratum, which has been reported briefly as a new causal agent of boll and lint rot disease, are illustrated and presented. In addition, Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus spp. were also isolated frequently from lint parts of cotton prior to harvesting. There was a positive correlation between disease occurrence and spiny cotton bollworm damage. The pathogenicity test was characterised by inoculating the attached and detached bolls of cotton plants.