First Report of Verticillium dahliae Causing Verticillium Wilt on Potato in Korea

HomePlant DiseaseVol. 103, No. 9First Report of Verticillium dahliae Causing Verticillium Wilt on Potato in Korea PreviousNext DISEASE NOTES OPENOpen Access licenseFirst Report of Verticillium dahliae Causing Verticillium Wilt on Potato in KoreaJ.-S. Kim, Y. K. Lee, S. K. Hong, and H.-W. ChoiJ.-S. KimNational Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea, Y. K. LeeNational Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea, S. K. Honghttp://orcid.org/0000-0003-4204-8371National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea, and H.-W. Choi†Corresponding author: H.-W. Choi; E-mail Address: hyon338@korea.krhttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-3496-3855National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Wanju 55365, Republic of KoreaAffiliationsAuthors and Affiliations J.-S. Kim Y. K. Lee S. K. Hong H.-W. Choi † National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea Published Online:10 Jul 2019https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-08-18-1478-PDNAboutSectionsSupplemental ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailWechat In early June 2016, severe yellowing of potato (Solanum tuberosum 'Superior') leaves were observed in a field of Jeongseon-gun, Korea (37.45°N, 128.83°E). Diseased plants were about 20% of the 50,000 total plants in the field. Infected plants showed marginal yellowing of leaflets of the middle and low leaves. The vascular discolorations were observed in sectioned crown of plants. Fragments of diseased stems were surface sterilized with 1% NaOCl for 30 s, and then rinsed in sterile water. The tissue pieces were placed on water agar (WA) and incubated at 25°C for 10 days. Colonies on potato dextrose agar (PDA) after 2 weeks were 4.3 cm in diameter, white at first, darkening 7 days later due to the formation of microsclerotia. Aerial hyphae were smooth-walled, 3 to 4 μm wide. Conidiophores were erect or slanted, branched or unbranched, hyaline, narrowing toward the apex, transversely septate, septa spaced more narrowly toward the apex, and measured 100 to 800 × 3 to 4 μm. Conidiogenous cells were arranged in 2 to 6 whorls, which were spaced 40 to 80 μm apart, closer toward the apex, consisting of 2 to 4 phialides. Terminal phialides were 40 to 60 μm long and lateral phialides were 30 to 50 μm long. Conidia were hyaline, smooth-walled, nonseptate, cylindrical with rounded apices to oval, allantoid or tapering, 4.1 to 8.3 × 1.9 to 4.0 μm (mean 5.6 × 2.9 μm, l/w 1.9, n = 80). Microsclerotia were immersed in agar, regularly or irregularly distributed throughout the colonies, composed of rounded, brown-pigmented cells up to 15 μm diam. Microsclerotia were rounded to elongate or irregular in shape, 12 to 90 μm diam. Morphological and cultural characteristics of the isolate was similar to those of Verticillium dahliae (Hawksworth and Talboys 1970; Isaac 1967). To clarify taxonomic placement of the present isolate (NC16463), partial sequences of the protein coding genes actin (ACT), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD), tryptophan synthase (TS), and the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) from the isolate were amplified by PCR as previously described (Inderbitzin et al. 2011). The PCR products were sequenced and deposited in GenBank with accession numbers MH589349 to MH589351, and MH569609, respectively. Four sequences of NC16463 showed 99% or 100% similarity to the reference strains (HQ207004 for ACT, HQ414735 for GPD, HQ414914 for TS, and MG585719 for ITS). Based on morphological and molecular characteristics, the isolate was identified as V. dahliae. A pathogenicity test was carried out in the greenhouse using 10-day-old rooted seed potatoes (Superior) by root soaking in the fungal suspensions of about 107 conidia ml−1 after root-tip cutting. Plants were treated with sterile distilled water as controls. Both the inoculated potatoes were placed in greenhouse at 25°C. After 6 weeks, foliage symptoms of pale-greening and wilting had started to develop only on inoculated potatoes. After 8 weeks, diseased plants showed uneven foliage yellowing and stunting. No symptoms were developed on the control. The fungus was consistently reisolated from the inoculated potatoes showing wilting and vascular discoloration, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates. So far, V. albo-atrum has been known as the only causal pathogen of Verticillium wilt of potatoes in Korea (KSPP 2009). To our knowledge, this is the first report that V. dahliae causes Verticillium wilt on potato in Korea.The author(s) declare no conflict of interest.References:Hawksworth, D. L., and Talboys, P. W. 1970. Verticillium dahliae. Descriptions of Pathogenic Fungi and Bacteria. CMI, Kew, Surrey, UK. Google ScholarInderbitzin, P., et al. 2011. PLoS One 6:e28341. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0028341 Crossref, ISI, Google ScholarIsaac, I. 1967. Annu. Rev. Phytopathol. 5:201. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.py.05.090167.001221 Crossref, ISI, Google ScholarKorean Society of Plant Pathology. 2009. List of plant disease in Korea, 5th Ed. KSPP, Suwon, Korea. Google ScholarThe author(s) declare no conflict of interest.Funding: This study was supported by a grant from the Rural Development Administration (Project No. PJ012826), Republic of Korea.DetailsFiguresLiterature CitedRelated Vol. 103, No. 9 September 2019SubscribeISSN:0191-2917e-ISSN:1943-7692 DownloadCaptionLeaf spot caused by Allophoma tropica on lettuce (Gullino et al.). Photo credit: M. L. Gullino. Red grapevine leaves showing symptoms of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma solani' (Jamshidi et al.). Photo credit: G. Romanazzi. Metrics Article History Issue Date: 30 Aug 2019Published: 10 Jul 2019First Look: 3 Jun 2019Accepted: 5 Feb 2019 Pages: 2470-2470 Information© 2019 The American Phytopathological SocietyFundingRural Development AdministrationGrant/Award Number: Project No. PJ012826KeywordspotatoVerticillium wiltVerticillium dahliaeThe author(s) declare no conflict of interest.Cited byIsolation and identification of Epicoccum nigrum as the causal agent of brown spot disease in Solanum tuberosum in China10 January 2023 | Plant Pathology, Vol. 49Verticillium dahliae (verticillium wilt)CABI Compendium, Vol. CABI CompendiumStatus of Fusarium Wilt Incidence on Summer Radish and Etiological Characteristics of the Causal Fungus in KoreaResearch in Plant Disease, Vol. 26, No. 4