Contamination of seeds of Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule L.) by Fusarium oxysporum

Phytoparasitica (2015) 43:189196 DOI 10.1007/s12600-014-0431-4

Contamination of seeds of Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule L.) by Fusarium oxysporum

Domenico Bertetti & Giuseppe Ortu &

Maria Lodovica Gullino & Angelo Garibaldi

Received: 24 April 2014 /Accepted: 29 July 2014 /Published online: 6 August 2014 # Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Abstract In 2011, a new Fusarium wilt of Papaver nudicaule was observed in a commercial nursery near Ventimiglia (Imperia province, northern Italy) as well as in the Regional Institute of Floriculture (I.R.F.) of Sanremo (Imperia province, northern Italy). Molecular analysis enabled identification of the causal agent as a new forma specialis called Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. papaveris. The origin of the infection was found onP. nudicaule seeds. However, disinfection with sodium hypochlorite was able to eliminate the pathogen infection. Virulence of ten isolates obtained from seeds was evaluated by pathogenicity assay. The more virulent strains were analyzed by phylogenetic analysis on the basis of the EF-1, pg1 and pgx4 genes. Sequences obtained by PCR amplification were aligned with other formae speciales of Fusarium oxysporum from the GenBank and used in the construction of the phylogenetic trees. Seed infections have been observed in the case of many vegetable crops; however, this phenomenon has been less studied in the case of ornamental crops. As a consequence of seed exchanges or transmission via infected seeds, new and old pathogenic species of Fusarium are continuously introduced into new areas and production systems.

Keywords EF-1 . Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. papaveris . Fusarium wilt . Italy

Introduction

A new Fusarium wilt of Papaver nudicaule, commonly called Iceland poppy, was observed in 2011 in a commercial nursery near Ventimiglia (Imperia province, northern Italy) as well as in the Regional Institute of Floriculture (I.R.F.) of Sanremo (Imperia province, northern Italy), the plants of a local unnamed selection (Garibaldi et al. 2012). In the commercial nursery, 15 20% of the plants were affected, while approximately 3% of the plants were affected at the I.R.F. At these sites three different genotypes of P. nudicaule were cultivated but only a single accession was affected. The commercial nursery produced Anemone coronaria besidesP. nudicaule, both the species grown in the soil. On the contrary, several species were cultivated for experimental trials in the I.R.F. but none of those belonging...