The first report of Fusarium oxysporum causal agent of wild saffron corm rot disease in Iran

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is the most important plant in the world that has been used in cooking, confectionery and drug productions because of the color and aromatic substances in its sigma. Corm rot disease is one of the most important diseases in Iran. For identification of causal agents, wild saffron plants with wilt symptoms and rot lesions on corm were randomly collected in different regions of Ivan and Mehran in the Ilam province. Diseased samples were surface sterilized by dipping into domestic bleach solution (5% NaOCl). Then they were washed three times with sterile distilled water, dried with sterile filter paper and plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA). Samples were incubated for three days in an incubator at 20°C. A total of eight Fusarium isolates were obtained and purified using the single spore method. Fusarium oxysporium isolates were identified according to their morphological and microscopic characteristics as described by the identification key. The pathogenicity of Fusarium oxysporium isolates were artificially tested in the greenhouse on a wild susceptible cultivar according to Koch’s principles.