Emergence of Fusarium proliferatum as a Novel Cause of Root Rot and Canker in Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) Seedlings in Iraq
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56286/NTU-JAVS.2026.6.3.334-337Keywords:
Apricot, Fusarium proliferatum, root rot, canker, PCR.Abstract
Fusarium proliferatum is recognized globally as a destructive pathogen of many crops, including apricot. In January 2024, symptoms of root rot and canker were noticed on apricot seedlings at the Umm Al-Rubaieen nursery. Symptomatic seedlings were collected under sterile conditions and transferred for laboratory analysis. Fungal isolates obtained from diseased tissue were cultured on potato dextrose agar, where colonies initially appeared white with abundant aerial mycelium, later turning violet-purple. Morphological features matched those of F. proliferatum. Molecular identification was achieved by amplifying of (ITS) gene. BLAST analysis of ITS sequence showed 99.23% similarity to F. proliferatum sequences in GenBank, confirming its identity. The Iraqi isolate sequence has been deposited in GenBank under accession number PQ274422.
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