Variation among Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris isolates causing chickpea root and crown rot from Kurdistan province

Fusarium wilt, root and crown rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris, (FOC) is the highly significant soil-borne disease of chickpea in the Kurdistan province of Iran. The distribution of pathogenic races of FOC in Kurdistan province was determined during this research. Infected plant samples were collected from 42 fields in the chickpea production area of the Kurdistan province. The causative microorganism of the disease was isolated and purified from each sample, and then FOC isolates were identified by morphological characters. After the pathogenicity test and evaluation of pathogenic variability on the susceptible cultivar Kaka, the DNA extraction, the molecular identification of species, and races of pathogenic isolates were performed using FOC-specific linked primers. Among the collected isolates, 37 were identified as Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris. Molecular identification of races using SCAR-linked markers (1B/C, 0, 2,3,4,5, 6, and 1A) revealed that 28 out of 37 isolates belonged to race 0, and other isolates belonged to race 1B/C. There was no relationship between the prevalence of races and their geographical distribution. Identification of the races is crucial for the evaluation of resistance and the development of new commercial cultivars. The application of resistant cultivars is a fundamental approach for the integrated management of the Fusarium wilt, root, and crown rot for durable chickpea production