Crop diseases in Uzbekistan caused by the species of the genus Fusarium: An Overview

Abstract

In Uzbekistan, plant diseases caused by Fusarium species are common. Some of them are the dominant pathogens of certain crops, causing economically important diseases such as wilts of cotton, melon, tomato and chickpea, root/crown rot of wheat, damping-off, root, crown or foot rot of pepper plants, vegetables and other crops. Reportedly, 26 Fusarium species cause root rot on wheat in Uzbekistan. An annotated list of 22 valid taxa is presented. As well, 26 Fusarium species or forms are reported on cotton. Of many Fusaria found on other crops, only a few credible reports have been analyzed. The composition of Fusarium species infecting crops still needs to be studied since their identification was based on morphology. Molecular identification started to be used recently, and so far, the results of some previous morphological identifications were confirmed, races of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum and several Fusarium species causing root rot of wheat, bell pepper and hot pepper, chickpea, cowpea and soybean were identified. Undoubtedly, studies of Fusarium species, based on classical morphological methods and DNA analysis of informative genes, will be used more widely in the coming years, ensuring a reliable identification of species of this complex genus in Uzbekistan.