. This study aimed to identify the species of Cylindrocarpon-like anamorphs associated with black root rot of strawberry seedlings and field-grown plants in Aydin province, Turkiye. Samples of strawberry seedlings before planting and diseased plants after planting were collected from 41 strawberry fields during two production seasons (2009-2010 and 2010-2011) in Sultanhisar of Aydin. Incidence of pathogenic Cylindrocarpon spp. in seedlings was 0.11-0.54%, and fungal pathogens were isolated from 15.8% of diseased plants in 2009/2010 and were-4.6% in 2010/2011. Seven Cylindrocarpon-like pathogenic isolates recovered from seedling roots and 17 from diseased plants were further identified as Dactylonectria novozelandica (DN; 12 isolates), Dactylonectria torresensis (DT; nine), Dactylonectria macrodidyma (DM; one), and Ilyonectria europaea (IE; two isolates), using multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) with sequencing of tef1, tub2, and his3 partial genes. Cultural and morphological characteristics were determined for representative isolates of four species. Pathogenicity tests indicated that the most aggressive species could cause necrosis on detached strawberry stolons, and severity of plant decline in pots experiments was greatest from DT, less from DN and IE, and least from DM. This is the first report of D. novozelandica, D. torresensis, D. macrodidyma in Turkiye, and I. europaea in the world, as causes of black root rot in strawberry.

During the survey in greenhouse-cut flower carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) areas in Izmir, wilted carnation samples were collected from 92 greenhouses. A total of 95 Fusarium spp. isolates were obtained from carnation greenhouses, 80 had been identified as Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. dianthi and published earlier, while the remaining 15 were identified as Fusarium proliferatum (Fp) based on morphological and molecular analysis using TEF1-alpha gene sequences in this study. The prevalence of wilting disease of carnation caused by Fp was estimated to be 16.3% of the total area. Pathogenicity tests were conducted by dipping the carnation roots (cv. Turbo) in a spore suspension of monoconidial isolates and transplanting them into pots. Pathogenicity studies confirmed the ability of all Fp to cause symptoms of wilting, leaves and stems shriving. Phylogenetic analysis of sequences from the translation elongation factor 1 alpha (TEF-1 alpha) region of the 15 Fp isolates obtained from carnation formed a large clade of isolates originating from carnation and a wide range of other hosts in different geographical locations worldwide. To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. proliferatum causing wilt disease of carnation based on molecular identification in Turkiye.

Türkiye, iklim ve toprak özellikleri bakımından süs bitkileri yetiştiriciliği için oldukça uygundur ve birçok süs bitkisinin gen kaynağıdır. Türkiye’de süs bitkileri sektörü üretim ve ihracat açısından son yıllarda büyük gelişim göstermiştir. Son verilere göre, Türkiye toplam 5.18 hektar süs bitkisi üretim alanına sahiptir ve dünyada 52 ülkeye süs bitkisi ihracatı yapmaktadır. Ayrıca, 2018'de Türkiye'nin süs bitkisi ihracat geliri 99 milyon 300 bin dolardır. Bu gelişen sektörde İzmir ili, Türkiye toplam süs bitkisi üretim alanının % 31.7’sini, toplam üretim miktarının ise % 35.5’ini karşılayarak ekonomiye önemli katkılar sağlamaktadır. Bu çalışma, İzmir ilinde süs bitkisi üretiminin en fazla yapıldığı ilçelerden; Bayındır, Merkez, Menderes, Urla, Ödemiş, Karaburun ve Torbalı’da yaygın olarak üretilen süs bitkileri profilini belirlemek ve bu bitkilerde görülen fungal hastalıkları değerlendirmek amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Bu kapsamda her ilçedeki süs bitkisi üretim alanları esas alınarak toplam 100 üretici ile anket çalışması yapılmıştır. Sonuçlar değerlendirildiğinde, karanfil, gül ve krizantem yetiştiriciliğinin kesme çiçek üretimi olarak ön plana çıktığı görülmüştür. Ödemiş’te ağırlıklı olarak ibreli ve yapraklı ağaç grubunda yer alan süs bitkileri üretimi yapılırken, Bayındır ilçesinde özellikle mevsimlik süs bitkisi, Torbalı’da çalı tipi süs bitkileri yetiştirilmektedir. Dış mekân gül üretimi ise her üç ilçede de yaygın olarak yapılmaktadır. Karaburun ilçesinde hem nergis ve sümbül soğanlarının üretimi yapılmakta, hem de nergis ve sümbül çiçeği kesme çiçek olarak yetiştirilmektedir. Karanfil yetiştiriciliğinde en önemli sorunun Karanfilde Fusarium Solgunluğu, gül yetiştiriciliğinde Karaleke, krizantemde ise Beyaz Pas hastalıkları olduğu belirlenmiştir. Üreticiler, Karanfilde Fusarium solgunluğuna karşı solarizasyon ve metam sodyum uygulamalarından tatminkâr sonuç alamadıklarını, Karaleke ve Beyaz Pas Hastalığı’na karşı da ruhsatlı fungisit olmadığını belirtmişlerdir.

In the fall season 2017, forty samples showing necrotic and wilted leaves, stem cankers, shoot cankers, leaf and fruit blight were collected from walnut trees in seven commercial orchards in Aydin province of Turkey. Ten isolates were identified based on morphology of monoconidial cultures obtained from pine needles. Morphological characteristics and DNA sequence comparisons of ITS and EF-1α gene sequences of the isolates revealed the presence of Botryosphaeria dothidea, Neofusicoccum parvum, and Neofusicoccum mediterraneum. Four isolates were identified as Neofusicoccum parvum with 100% similarity for ITS (accession nos. MW426289 to MW426292) and EF1α (MT212730 to MT212733); two isolates were Neofusicoccum mediterraneum with 100% similarity for ITS (accession nos. MW426287 and MW426288) and EF1α (MT212728 and MT21729), and one isolate was Botryosphaeria dothidea with 100% similarity for ITS (accession nos. MW426293) and EF1α (MT212734). Pathogenicity tests were conducted on 2-year-old walnut trees cv. Chandler, and ten monoconidial isolates were pathogenic. This is the first report of N. parvum and B. dothidea causing twig blight and branch and dieback disease of walnuts in the Aegean region of Turkey and N. mediterraneum on walnut trees in Turkey. This emerging disease could pose a potential threat to new tree plantations of walnut in Turkey.

Fusarium wilt among carnations, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. dianthi W.C. Snyder & H.N. Hansen, is the most important disease in all major carnation growing areas of Turkey. After a preliminary morphologic identification of 92 Fusarium isolates obtained from 300 wilted carnation samples collected from 92 greenhouses, 80 were identified as F. oxysporum f. sp. dianthi (Fod) with the highest sequence identity of TEF1-α gene in GenBank. The morphological characteristics of the 50 selected isolates were also determined. Afterwards, Fod isolates were tested with race-specific primers. Sixty-four isolates produced a 564 bp product and were identified as Fod race 2, while 16 amplified a 295 bp fragment, which is diagnostic for race 1/8. The 1315 bp amplification product corresponding to race 4 was not detected. We selected thirty out of 80 Fod isolates to represent each location and race for the pathogenicity tests and phylogenetic analyses. Pathogenicity tests were carried out in a pot experiment by immersing the roots of carnation (cv Turbo) cuttings in monoconidial suspensions of the Fod isolates. As a result of the pathogenicity tests, isolates were divided into 3 groups according to their virulence. Although the 3 Fod isolates with the highest virulence belong to race 2, a correlation could not be made between the races and the virulence of the Fod isolates. While all isolates belonging to race 1/8 showed a typical colony appearance, there was no homogeneity in the colony appearances of the isolates belonging to race 2. Phylogenetic analysis based on the TEF1-α sequences of 30 pathogenic Fod isolates confirmed a clear grouping of the Fod races in clusters with bootstrap values that consistently supported the branches.

In the present study, 2366 strawberry seedling samples were collected from 49 strawberry growers before planting in Sultanhisar and Kosk districts of Aydin province during 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 strawberry growing seasons. A total of 447 isolates of Fusarium were obtained from diseased roots and crowns of the commercial and farmer-produced seedlings. As a result of pathogenicity tests on healthy strawberry stolons and plants, 291 isolates of Fusarium spp. were found to be pathogenic. All pathogenic isolates were identified based on morphological characteristics and molecular methods by amplifying translation elongation factor (TEF) gene in PCR. Incidence of Fusarium spp. in the crown of strawberry seedlings was found to be 2.1% in the 1St year and 1.1% in the 2nd year while it was found to be 11.6% in the 1st year and 4.8% in the 2nd year in the root of the seedlings. When considering the origin of the seedlings, the presence of Fusarium spp. was 18.8% and 21.9% in transplants produced from stolons in previous season by the farmers while it was 5.2 and 5.6% in commercial frigo seedlings. Contamination rate of fresh seedlings examined in the second year was 5.6%. BLAST analysis of DNA sequences amplified from TEF genes of Fusarium isolates indicated that 73% of the isolates were F. oxysporum and 19% were F. proliferatum. At the end of study, 5 F. solani, 2 F. verticillioides, 2 F. acuminatum, 2 F. redolens, 1 F. arthrosporioides, 1 F. avenaceum, and 1 F. lateritium were also determined from strawberry seedlings.

Colletotrichum species are important plant pathogen fungi that cause significant crop losses before and after harvest worldwide. It is known that three species of Colletotrichum are caused by Anthracnose Disease in Strawberry. These are Colletotrichum fragariae A.N.Brooks, Colletotrichum acutatum J.H.Simmonds, and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.)Penz.&Sacc.in Penz.(telemorph Glomerella cingulata (Stoneman) Spauld.&H.Scherenk). Strawberry anthracnose symptoms caused by C. a cutatum , C. fragariae and C. gloeosporioides are similar, and all three species of the plant leaves, stolon, flower, green and ripe fruits are symptoms, and all three species symptoms of leaves, stolon, flower green and ripe fruits are on the plant. Strawberry production is seen in all stages of the plant from seedling production from to harvest period and seedling and crop losses. The pathogen has become widespread on seedling material throughout the world over the last two decades. This review covers detailed information on the anthracnose diseases caused by Colletotrichum species in strawberries, disease cycle, and control methods. The review was prepared to assist researchers studying on strawberry diseases, extension services, strawberry farmers, and seedling producers.

Samples of strawberry transplants were randomly collected from 47 growers in Aydın province of Turkey. A total of 10 Rhizoctonia isolates were identified by morphological characterization, analysis of rDNA-ITS sequences. Pathogenicity tests were carried on strawberry seedlings and detached stolon. Ten pathogenic binucleate Rhizoctonia isolates were defined as AG-A, AG-G and AG-K on the basis of ITS region sequence analysis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of Rhizoctonia fragariae in strawberry transplants in Turkey.

Bu calisma 2009-2011 yillarinda Aydin ili ve ilcelerindeki nar bahcelerinde gorulen fungal ve bakteriyel hastalik etmenleri ile bu etmenlerin yayginlik oranlarinin belirlenmesi amaciyla yurutulmustur. Aydin ilinde toplam 16 ilcede ciceklenme doneminden hasat sonuna kadar toplam 96 nar ureticisine ait bahcede survey yapilmistir. Survey calismalari sonucundaAydin ili genelinde incelenen toplam 17125 agacin %4,7’sinde solgunluk, bu bahcelerdeki incelenen meyvelerin (her agacin dort yonunde 10’ar meyve olmak uzere toplam 40 meyve) % 8,1’inde curume gorulurken, % 8,8’inde ise hasat oncesinde gorulen catlamalar nedeniyle pazar degerini yitirdigibelirlenmistir. Solgunluk belirtisi gosteren bitkilerden ornekler alinmis ve bu bitkilerin kok ve kok bogazindan yapilan izolasyonlar sonucu elde edilen funguslarin % 64,4’u Fusarium spp . , % 13,6’si Cytospora spp ., % 3,4 ’ u Cytospora spp. ve Fusarium spp. ve % 1,7’si Trichothecium roseum, % 1,7’si Rhizoctonia solani, % 1,7’si Phytophthora sp., % 1,7’si Gliocladium sp. ve % 1,7’si Alternaria sp., olarak tanilanirken, izolatlarin % 10,2’si Coniella granati olarak tanilanmistir. Fusarium, Coniella granati ve Cytospora turleri ile yapilan patojenisite calismalari sonucunda Cytospora ve Coniella granati izolatlarinin tamami patojen olarak bulunurken, Fusarium turlerinin %69,5’i patojen olarak saptanmistir. Hastalikli meyvelerden yapilan izolasyon calismalarinda ise en fazla % 28,3 ile Altenaria spp. izole edilirken bunu % 19,6 ile Aspergillus spp. %13,1 ile Penicillium spp. %8,7 ile Coniella granati , %8,7 ile Cytospora spp. izlemis, Gliocladiom spp., Trichoderma spp. ve Fusarium spp. tanilanan diger funguslar olmustur. Aydin ilinde yurutulen survey calismalari sonucunda nar agaclarinda bakteriyel hastaliklar ile ilgili herhangi bir belirtiye rastlanmamistir.

Çalışma, Türkiye’de çilek fidelerinde karşılaşılan sorunları ortaya koymak amacıyla ele alınmıştır. Türkiye’de 2015 yılı itibarıyla sertifikalı çilek fidesi miktarı, toplam çilek dikilecek alanlar için gerekli sertifikalı fide miktarının ancak %24’ünü karşılamaktadır. Geri kalan %76’lık kısım üreticinin koldan aldığı fide ile karşılanmaktadır. Üreticilerin koldan elde ettiği fidelerdeki patojen Fusarium spp.’nin bulunma oranı, sertifikalı frigo fidelerdekinin 3-4 katı, patojen Rhizoctonia spp.’nin üreticilerin koldan elde ettiği fidelerdeki bulunma oranı sertifikalı frigo fidelerdekinin 2-4.5 katıdır. Çilek fideliğinde kullanılan methyl bromide alternatifi fumigantlar, toprak kaynaklı fungal patojenler açısından sorunları tam olarak çözememektedir. Ülkemizde halen yürürlükte olan “Çilek Fidesi Üretimi, Sertifikasyonu ve Pazarlaması Yönetmeliği”nin Türkiye’de varlığı tespit edilmiş bazı hastalık etmenleri açısından EPPO (Avrupa and Akdeniz Bitki Koruma Organizasyonu) standartları ile uyum sağlayacak şekilde güncellenmesi yararlı olacaktır.

In this study, the presence and incidence of fungal pathogens were investigated in strawberry seedlings in AydinProvince producing 68% of the total strawberry production of Aegean region. Isolations were made from the crown and root, and a total of 2248 strawberry seedlings (cvs. Camarosa, Sweetcharlie, Rubygem and Festival) were collected from strawberry growing areas of Sultanhisar and Kosk during 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 cropping season before planting. In total, 1014 fungal isolates were obtained from crown and roots. Pathogenicity tests performed on stolons indicated that 291 Fusarium spp., 153 Rhizoctonia spp. , 4 Macrophomina sp., and 13 Cylindrocarpon sp. isolates were pathogenic. In 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 cropping seasons, the incidence of Rhizoctonia spp. was 2.7 and 3.4 % in commercial frigo seedlings and 12.4 and 7.7 % in runner-transplants produced by the farmers, while that of Fusarium spp. was 6.1 and 5.2 % in frigo seedlings, 18.8 and 21.9 % in runner-transplants, respectively. The incidence of Rhizoctonia spp was found to be 3.5 % and Fusarium spp was 5.6 % in fresh seedlings in 2010-2011 cropping season. The occurrence of Fusarium spp were 2.1 and 1.1% in crowns, and 11.6 and 4.8 % in roots while Rhizoctonia spp. were 0.48 and 0.1 % in crowns, and 8.96 and 2.6 in roots in both cropping seasons, respectively.The presence of Macrophomina phaseolina and Cylindrocarpon spp. was also determined in rather low frequencies in strawberry seedlings.

Samples of strawberry transplants were randomly collected from 47 growers in Aydın province of Turkey. A total of 26 Fusarium oxysporum isolates were identified by morphological characterization, sequence analysis of factor-1 alpha gene, and pathogenicity tests on strawberry, cucumber and tomato seedlings. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of F. oxysporum in strawberry transplants in Turkey.

Experiments were conducted in commercial fields of strawberry-growing areas of the Aydin Province of Turkey during two cropping seasons: 2010–2011 and 2011–2012. Each year, eight separate treatments were used: (1) untreated control (C), (2) solarization alone (S), (3) solarization + broccoli (SBr), (4) solarization + fava bean (SFB), (5) solarization + dry olive-mill wastewater (SDOMW), (6) solarization + rice hulls (SRH), (7) solarization + sulfur powder (SSu), and (8) solarization + vermicast (SVe). DNA was extracted from bulk soil samples before and after solarization. The populations of the major taxonomic groups of bacteria and soil-borne fungal pathogens of strawberry were quantitatively calculated by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) with specific primer pairs using standard curves. The marketable fruit yield was recorded in the experimental plots. After the 6-week solarization period, there were significant reductions for total bacteria and for α-Proteobacteria in all of the experimental plots, except for SDOMW. However, the abundance of β-Proteobacteria significantly increased in all of the experimental plots (except for C and SFB in 2011). Significant increases in Firmicutes and Actinobacteria were also recorded in all of the treated plots. The highest significant increase was noticed with SDOMW treatments for total bacteria, α-Proteobacteria, β-Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria in both years. The target level of Verticillium spp. Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum decreased significantly in all of the treated plots after solarization in both years. The reductions of M. phaseolina were significant in S, SVe, and SSu and were the highest in SDOMW in 2011; these reductions were significant in S, SSu and SDOMW in 2012. The abundance of Trichoderma spp. decreased insignificantly in all of the experimental plots. The highest significant yields were obtained from the combination of SDOMW, SRH and SSu compared to solarization alone in both seasons.

The spread of aggressive fungal pathogens into previously non-endemic regions is a major threat to plant health and food security. Analyses of the spatial and genetic structure of plant pathogens offer valuable insights into their origin, dispersal mechanisms and evolution, and have been useful to develop successful disease management strategies. Here, we elucidated the genetic diversity, population structure and demographic history of worldwide invasion of the ascomycete Verticillium dahliae, a soil-borne pathogen, using a global collection of 1100 isolates from multiple plant hosts and countries. Seven well-differentiated genetic clusters were revealed through discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC), but no strong associations between these clusters and host/geographic origin of isolates were found. Analyses of clonal evolutionary relationships among multilocus genotypes with the eBURST algorithm and analyses of genetic distances revealed that genetic clusters represented several ancient evolutionary lineages with broad geographic distribution and wide host range. Comparison of different scenarios of demographic history using approximate Bayesian computations revealed the branching order among the different genetic clusters and lineages. The different lineages may represent incipient species, and this raises questions with respect to their evolutionary origin and the factors allowing their maintenance in the same areas and same hosts without evidence of admixture between them. Based on the above findings and the biology of V. dahliae, we conclude that anthropogenic movement has played an important role in spreading V. dahliae lineages. Our findings have implications for the development of management strategies such as quarantine measures and crop resistance breeding.

Two field experiments were conducted in the two successive seasons of 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 in strawberry-growing areas of Aydin province of Turkey to (a) compare soil solarization and metam sodium (MS) combinations with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and virtually impermeable film (VIF); and (b) evaluate strawberry fruit yield, soilborne disease and weed control efficacy. Disinfestation treatments were as follows: (i) raised bed solarization for about 6 weeks, (ii) raised bed solarization for 3 weeks, (iii) raised bed solarization for 2 weeks + MS (50 ml m(-2)), (iv) MS (50 ml m(-2)) with LPDE (v) MS (100 ml m(-2)) with LDPE, (vi) MS (50 ml m(-2)) with VIF, (vii) MS (100 ml m(-2)) with VIF. Results indicated that Macrophomina phaseolina and Fusarium spp. were the major fungal pathogens isolated from the crown of dead or dying plants in both cropping seasons. MS treatment (100 ml m(-2)) through the drip irrigation system under LDPE sheet or VIF reduced soilborne diseases significantly while reduced dosage of MS (50 ml m(-2)) under LDPE or VIF and in combination with 2-week soil solarization controlled the soilborne diseases to a greater extent than soil solarization treatments. All treatments controlled the following weed species: Portulaca oleracea, Amaranthus spp., Poa annua, Alopecurus myosuroides, Matricaria chamomilla, Digitaria sanguinalis, Raphanus raphanistrum, Seteria verticillata, Chenopodium album, Stelleria media, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Echinochloa cruss-galli, Veronica hederifolia, Lamium amplexicaule and Silybum marianum. None of the treatments provided acceptable control of horseweed (Conyza canadensis). Metam sodium application (100 ml m(-2)) significantly increased yields by 18.5% and 14.5% in the 2005/2006 and 21.6% and 18.5% in the 2006/2007 season under LDPE and VIF, respectively, while marketable fruit yield was not significantly increased by soil solarization treatments in either trial. There was no significant difference between MS applications under LDPE and VIF for the weed and disease control, and marketable fruit yield.

Macrophomina phaseolina and Rhizoctonia spp. are the most important soilborne pathogens of the strawberry crop that cause seriously reduced yields. Various methods are being used to determine pathogenicity of these fungi isolated from strawberry; however, they take a long time to grow strawberry plants. They also encounter some problems to provide a large number of healthy plants for the pathogenicity tests. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a faster and more reliable pathogenicity test for soilborne fungal pathogens of strawberry by using the stolons of healthy strawberry plants. The stolon inoculation method was demonstrated to be easy and rapid for properly distinguishing soilborne fungal species of strawberry, whether pathogenic or non-pathogenic, and also for assessing the isolates for virulence.

Bu calisma, Aydin ilinde pamuk ekim alanlarindan elde edilen Verticillium dahliae (Vd) izolatlarinin vegetatif uyum gruplarini (VCG) belirlemek amaciyla ele alinmistir. 2004 ve 2005 yillarinda Aydin ilinde pamuk ekim alani acisindan onemli 12 ilcede pamuk bitkilerinden 47 Verticillium spp. izolati elde edilmis ve Acala SJ2 cesidi pamuk bitkilerinde iklim odasinda patojenisite testleri yapilmistir. Vd izolatlarin virulensi %3.83-100 arasinda degisirken, pamuk bitkilerindeki yaprak dokum oranlarinin ise %0.0-100.0 arasinda degistigi belirlenmistir. Pamuktan elde edilen 24 V. dahliae izolatinin nitrattan yararlanmayan mutantlari (nit) elde edilerek bu izolatlarin vegetatif uyum gruplari saptanmistir. Pamuktan elde edilen nit1/nit3 mutantlarinin bulunma sikligi %98.4, NitM mutantlarin bulunma orani ise %1.6 olarak belirlenmistir. Uluslararasi test strainleri kullanilarak yapilan degerlendirmeler sonunda pamuktan elde edilen 23 izolatin VCG2B, 1 izolatin ise VCG2A oldugu belirlenmistir. Bununla birlikte VCG2B oldugu saptanan 4 izolatin VCG1 test straini ile zayif heterokaryon olusturdugu dikkati cekmistir.