Incidence of Root and Crown Rot Disease of Black cumin in the Southwest of Iran

Black cumin, an annual flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, is a medicinal herb with many pharmacological properties. Crown and root rot disease of this plant has been reported in most countries worldwide. This study was conducted to investigate the occurrence of this disease and identifying the causal agent in southwest of Iran.

Black cumin farms were visited in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province and southwest of Iran. Plants with crown and root rot were sampled. Pieces of infected root and crown were washed with tap water, dry blotted and plated on CMA-PARP. In total, 17 isolates of two different fungus-like species were isolated from rotted root and crown. Species identification was done based on morphological characteristics and temperature requirement. Pathogenicity test of the isolates were done on 3-week-old seedlings of Baft cultivar under greenhouse condition.

Eleven isolates were identified as Pythium aphanidermatum and six isolates as Phytophthora drechsleri. Both of these fungus-like species were pathogenic on the tested black cumin variety.

Crown and root rot disease is present in the farms of black cumin in the southwest of Iran. The causal agents of this disease were identified as Pythium aphanidermatum and Phytophthora drechsleri. The black cumin cultivar Baft is susceptible to these pathogens.