ISSN: 2471-9315
Kishor Chand Kumhar, Azariah Babu , Mitali Bordoloi
This study deals with the diversity among isolates of Fusarium solani of different locations of Dooars tea growing areas of West Bengal and its alternate host range. This pathogen causes dieback disease of tea and adversely affects crop production to the great extent. The pathogen was isolated from diseased tender shoot samples of various locations. These isolates were further, in vitro studied to assess their cultural and morphological variability, using potato dextrose agar medium. Results revealed that isolates exhibited huge variation in mycelial growth rate, texture, color, and sporulation. They produced dull-white, off-white, light pink, and violet-colored colonies. Some isolates produced fluffy whereas others produced flat colonies in plates. KBN-7 showed the highest mycelial growth rate followed by KBF-3, 2, 9, and 1, however, isolates KBF-5, 6, 8, and 4 were found to be slow growers in plate culture. Isolates showed differences in sporulation, as well. Isolate KBF-8 and 9 produced higher numbers of conidia, whereas KBF- 1, 2, 5, and 6 produced moderate numbers of conidia. Isolate KBF-3 produced a fair number of conidia whereas isolate KBF-4 and 7 produced the least conidia and hence categorized them as poor sporulator. There was significant variation for germination of conidial among the isolates, also. To find out the alternate hosts of this pathogen, out of the seven other host plants studied, none was found to be an alternate host in support of its life cycle.