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Comparative root colonisation of strawberry cultivars Camarosa and Festival by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae

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Abstract

Background and aims

Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) is a high-value crop worldwide. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae causes rapid wilting and death of strawberry plants and severe economic losses worldwide. To date, no studies have been conducted to determine colonisation of either susceptible or resistant strawberry plants by F. oxysporum f. sp. fragariae, or whether plant colonisation by F. oxysporum f. sp. fragariae differs between susceptible and resistant cultivars.

Methods

Colonisation of strawberry plants by a pathogenic isolate of F. oxysporum f. sp. fragariae was examined both on the root surface and within root tissue of one resistant cv. Festival and one susceptible cv. Camarosa using light and scanning electron microscopy from 4 h to 7 d post inoculation (pi).

Results

Resistant cv. Festival significantly impeded the spore germination and penetration from 4 to 12 hpi and subsequent growth and colonisation by this pathogen until 7 dpi compared with susceptible cv. Camarosa. At 7 dpi, fungal colonisation in resistant cv. Festival remained mainly confined to the epidermal layer of the root, while in susceptible cv. Camarosa, hyphae not only had heavily colonised the cortical tissue throughout but had also colonised vascular tissues.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates for the first time that resistance of a strawberry cultivar to F. oxysporum f. sp. fragariae is a result of impedance of pathogen growth and colonisation both on the plant surface and within host tissues. Resistance mechanisms identified in this study will be of high value for breeding programmes in developing new disease-resistant cultivars to manage this serious strawberry disorder.

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Acknowledgments

We greatly appreciate the funding support for this research provided by the Australia Research Council and the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia. The first author gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance of the China Scholarship Council and the University of Western Australia by a jointly awarded PhD Scholarship. We greatly appreciate the assistance of Ms Lyn Kirilak John and Prof Peta Clode from the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility at the Centre for Microscopy, Characterization and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, for their support with microscopic studies. We also acknowledge the half salary support for Martin Barbetti provided by the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia.

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Correspondence to Martin John Barbetti.

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Responsible Editor: Jesus Mercado-Blanco.

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Fang, X., Kuo, J., You, M.P. et al. Comparative root colonisation of strawberry cultivars Camarosa and Festival by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae . Plant Soil 358, 75–89 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1205-8

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