First report of Fusarium chlamydosporum causing crown rot and dumping of on Durum wheat in Algeria

Several species of Fusarium infect durum wheat plants in the eastern part of Algeria. Endophytic fungus from random wheat seeds were sampled from fifty locations in eastern Algeria and shows the existence of Fusarium chlamydosporum regarding the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics. Molecular identification using EF1 and ITS1 primers were confirmed the presence of Fusarium chlamydosporum for the first time on durum wheat seeds in Algeria. The pathogenicity test was carried out on three durum wheat varieties for determining the effect of this isolate on the coleoptile and basal part of durum wheat. The results show that F.chlamydosporum had a negative impact on seed germination of the three varieties tested. Indeed, the reduction in germination varies between 85 and 92% reduction on GTAdur and Waha varieties, respectively. More, F.chlamydosporum caused a reduction in coleoptiles length in all varieties ranging from 60.97 to 70.05% in GTAdur and Waha, respectively. On the other hand, it showed a very different impact on plant growth parameters. Thus, the action was much more pronounced on reducing the root system length and the fresh weight of the vegetative system of Waha variety equal to 75.04 and 71.15%, respectively, and it is notable for the fresh weight of the root system of Bousselam variety. These very high levels of infectivity prompt us to reconsider our vision for this species of Fusarium in treatment and certification programs.