Cultural, morphological and molecular variability of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causing white rot of peas

Abstract

Abstract Thirteen isolates of S. sclerotiorum were obtained from pea, bean, chickpea, tomato and linseed growing areas of Himachal Pradesh and their variability i.e. cultural, morphological and molecular were studied. All isolates of S. sclerotiorum were found cross pathogenic on pea, bean, chickpea, tomato and linseed verifying the polyphagus nature of the pathogen. Cultural characteristics were used to categorize isolates into three groups, while morphological characteristics served as the basis for dividing them into two groups. On the basis of mycelial compatibility grouping (MCG), 13 isolates were placed in four groups viz. MCG-I, MCG-II, MCG-III and MCG-IV. Further, ISSR primers based analysis divided the isolates into three groups viz. Ss-I, Ss-II and Ss-III at 77 per cent similarity coefficient as cut-off point. No congruence were observed between the groups formed on the basis of cultural, morphological, mycelial compatibility and ISSR primers. However, cultural, morphological and molecular variability was observed in the present study.