Publication Type
Journal Article
Publication Date (Issue Year)
2023
Journal Name
Journal of Phytopathology
Abstract
The sugar beet crop ranks second globally among the plant species grown mainly
for sugar production. In Morocco, the area under sugar beet farming occupies ap-
proximately 57,000 ha yielding more than 3 million tons of roots. However, sugar beet
root-tip rot (RTR) caused by Fusarium spp. dramatically reduces the anticipated yields,
the purity of the resulting juice, and the sugar concentration. The current study aimed
at identifying and characterizing the Fusarium species responsible for the root rot in
sugar beet grown in the Khenifra-Beni Mellal region of Morocco. In this survey, 69
isolates of Fusarium were sampled from sugar beet roots showing typical symptoms
of root rot from 2019 to 2021. After screening based on the pathogenicity test, 28
isolates were selected and identified based on morphological features and sequence
analyses of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and translation elon-
gation factor 1 α 34 (TEF-1 α). Fusarium oxysporum was the most frequently identified
species, followed closely by F. solani, F. equiseti, F. nygmai, F. brachygibbosum, F. prolif-
eratum, F. culmorum, and F. falciforme. Six weeks after inoculations under greenhouse
conditions, the studied isolates caused internal vascular discoloration and tip rot of
sugar beet roots, with disease incidences ranging from 37.5% to 100.0% and a disease
index between 30.3% and 70.5%. Isolates belonging to F. solani were the most ag-
gressive. Moreover, the majority of isolates significantly reduced plant growth. To our
knowledge, this research article is the first report of Fusarium species inducing RTR in
sugar beet in Morocco.
Keywords
Beta vulgaris, Fusarium, ITS, root-tip rot, sugar beet, TEF1, vascular internal discoloration
Rsif Scholar Name
Grace Wanjiku Gachara
Thematic Area
Food security and Agribusiness
Africa Host University (AHU)
Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), Tanzania
Recommended Citation
Farhaoui, A., Alami, N. E., Gachara, G., Ezrari, S., Khadiri, M., Tahiri, A., & Belabess, Z. (2023). Characterization and pathogenicity of Fusarium species causing sugar beet root rot in Morocco. Journal of Phytopathology, 171 (10), 552-566. https://doi.org/10.1111/jph.13210