Vegetative compatibility and genetic diversity in the Aspergillus flavus population of a single field

Abstract

Aspergillus flavus was isolated from soil from a single Arizona cotton field in 1987, 1988, and 1989. Isolates from infected cotton bolls were collected from the same field in 1988. Isolates were assigned to vegetative compatibility groups via complementation tests between nitrate-nonutilizing mutants. Sixty-one of 105 isolates composed 13 vegetative compatibility groups; the remaining 44 isolates could not be assigned to groups. Forty-three isolates from other fields in Arizona composed 21 groups, 6 of which were also found in the test field. Distribution of vegetative compatibility groups in and outside the field was significantly different, based on a G-test. One vegetative compatibility group included 20% of all isolates from the test field, but was not found elsewhere. It was common in the test field in 1987 and 1988, but was not found in 1989. Boll and soil populations from 1988 were not significantly different. Single infected boll locules and 25-g soil samples often contained A. flavus individuals from more than one group. These results suggest that although many vegetative compatibility groups are widely distributed, a single field may have a unique population profile that changes significantly from year to year. Key words: Aspergillus flavus, vegetative compatibility, Nit−, imperfect fungi.