Study on the diversity of Botrytis spp. Isolated from different plants in West Azarbaijan province and Sanadaj city (Kurdistan province)

The genus Botrytis P. Micheli ex Pers., is an efficient and cosmopolitan plant pathogenic fungus, causing destructive plant disesaes and significant crop losses in a wide variety of plant species all over the world. In order to identification of Botrytis species from different crop plants, symptomatic plants were collected from different orchards and greenhouses in Urmia, Miyandoab, Sardasht and Piranshahr (West Azarbaijan province) and Sanandaj (Kurdistan province). Totally, 271 Botrytis isolates were recovered from grapevine (168 isolates), strawberry (44 isolates), apple (18 isolates), ornamental plants (Geranium, Aloe vera and Cacti) (39 isolates) and white-headed cabbage (2 isolates). Based on comparision of morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses using sequences of three protein coding genes G3PDH, HSP60 and RPB2, three species including Botrytis cinerea, B. prunorum and B. sinoviticola were identified. Botrytis prunorum with 125 isolates were the most prevalent species followed by B. cinerea (116 isolates), and B. sinovticola (30 isolates). Botrytis prunorum is a new species to Iran mycobiota and apple, grapevine, geranium and strawberry are introduced as new hosts (matrix nova) for this species. Also, apple and grapevine are reported here as new hosts for B. sinovticola. Results of pathgenicity tests of the selected isolates from the identified species on leaves and berries of Thompson seedlees grape showed that isolates of B. cinerea and B. prunorum had the highest and lowest aggressiveness on both leaves and fruits, respectively and B. sinoviticola isolates had moderate aggressiveness.