Diversity of <i>Fusarium</i> Species Isolated from Symptomatic Plants Belonging to a Wide Range of Agri-Food and Ornamental Crops in Lebanon
2022
Charlie Abi Saad | Mario Masiello | Wassim Habib | Elvis Gerges | Simona Marianna Sanzani | Antonio Francesco Logrieco | Antonio Moretti | Stefania Somma
Lebanon is a small Mediterranean country with different pedoclimatic conditions that allow the growth of both temperate and tropical plants. Currently, few studies are available on the occurrence and diversity of <i>Fusarium</i> species on Lebanese crops. A wide population of <i>Fusarium</i> strains was isolated from different symptomatic plants in the last 10 years. In the present investigation, a set of 134 representative strains were molecularly identified by sequencing the translation elongation factor, used in <i>Fusarium</i> as a barcoding gene. Great variability was observed, since the strains were grouped into nine different <i>Fusarium</i> Species Complexes (SCs). <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i> SC and <i>Fusarium solani</i> SC were the most frequent (53% and 24%, respectively). Members of important mycotoxigenic SCs were also detected: <i>F. fujikuroi</i> SC (7%), <i>F. sambucinum</i> SC (5%), <i>F. incarnatum-equiseti</i> SC (3%), and <i>F. tricinctum</i> SC (4%). Two strains belonging to <i>F. lateritium</i> SC, a single strain belonging to <i>F. burgessii</i> SC, and a single strain belonging to <i>F. redolens</i> SC were also detected. This paper reports, for the first time, the occurrence of several <i>Fusarium</i> species on Lebanese host plants. The clear picture of the <i>Fusarium</i> species distribution provided in this study can pose a basis for both a better understanding of the potential phytopathological and toxicological risks and planning future <i>Fusarium</i> management strategies in Lebanon.
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