Molecular differentiation and virulence profiling of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici infecting tomato using ITS-RFLP markers
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL), the pathogen causing tomato wilt, is a major constraint to tomato production in India. This study evaluated virulence variability and genetic diversity among FOL isolates from major tomato-growing districts. Eighteen isolates proved pathogenicity tests on the susceptible cultivar PKM-1, where 67% showed high virulence, 22% were moderately virulent, and 11% were low virulent. Molecular amplification of high virulence isolates with ITS1 and ITS4 primers yielded an approximately 550 bp product in all isolates, confirming their identity as F. oxysporum. Genetic diversity was analysed using ITS-RFLP with five restriction enzymes, generating polymorphic fragments of 100–600 bp. UPGMA clustering based on Jaccard similarity coefficients of 0.83–0.98 separated isolates into two major clusters with distinct subclusters, indicating substantial genetic heterogeneity. These findings provide valuable baseline data for regional FOL management strategies.
Source: Figshare
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7155376554