Biologia, Bratislava, 62/2: 136—138, 2007Section BotanyDOI: 10.2478/s11756-007-0020-9

Short Communication

Macrophomina phaseolina causing a charcoal rot of sunflowerthrough Slovakia

Peter Bokor

Department of Plant Protection, Slovak Agricultural University, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, SK–94976, Nitra, Slovakia; e-mail: Pe-ter.Bokor@uniag.sk

Abstract: The fungus Macrophomina phaseolina distributed especially in warmer region of Europe is reported for the firsttime from the Slovakia as a pathogen of sunflower. Morphology of its populations is characterized.

Key words: Macrophomina phaseolina; Slovakia

Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. is a soil-bornefungus that causes charcoal rot disease of many cropsin arid and semiarid areas of the world (Dhingra & Sin-clair 1978) including soybean (Bradley & del Rio 2003;Wrather et al. 1998; Wyllie 1989), alfalfa (Boewe 1963;Gray et al. 1980; Pratt et al. 1998; Stuteville & Erwin1990), white clover (Farr et al. 1989; Halpin &McCarter1961; Kilpatrick 1959; McGlohon 1959), beans (Olaya& Agawi 1996) and muskmelon (Walker 1994).M. phaseolina is the most important pathogen

of sunflower in warmer countries (Jiménez-Diáz at al.1983; Sackston 1957; Sadashivaiah et al. 1986). In Italysunflower has been widely cultivated not only in warmareas, but also in northern Italy (Rigoni 1990) and inmountain areas (Mannini & Galina 1990). In all of theseareas M. phaseolina has been reported on sunflower(Tossi et al. 1990; Zazzerini et al. 1985).During the years 2004 and 2005 sunflower plants

were examined in more than 100 localities in Slovakia.Sunflower plants exhibited symptoms of charcoal rotin some fields during the second half of August andlater. Infected sunflower plants died prematurely andhad silvery-grey appearance. In the lower part of theirstem the pith was compressed into horizontal layers andblack microsclerotia were found there (Fig. 1). The sizeof microsclerotia was between 65−95 µm. These symp-toms were observed in 16 localities of 68 monitored in2004 and in 21 localities of 44 monitored in 2005. Thenumber of affected sunflower plants fluctuated from 0to 95% in 2004 and from 0 to 55% in 2005 (Table 1).Our observation is the first record of the occurrence

of the pathogenM. phaseolina on sunflower in Slovakia.The fungus identification was based on the symptomson the host plants, colony colour, and morphology andsize of the microsclerotia (Smith & Wyllie 1999).The stem tissue was placed in Petri dishes con-

taining potato dextrose agar (PDA). Grey hyphae grewfrom the stem on the PDA, subsequently turning black

Fig. 1. Typical symptoms of charcoal rot on sunflower cross-section stem. The pith in the stem is compressed into horizontallayers. The black microsclerotia are visible in the pith of the lowerpart of stem.

and forming microsclerotia with diameter of 88 µm ±20 µm (Fig. 2). Similar results were obtained also byGulya et al. (2002) and Bradley & Del Rio (2003).To confirm pathogenicity the sunflower plants

grown in 200 mm diameter pots were inoculated withthe previously obtained isolate of M. phaseolina. Two-

c©2007 Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences

Macrophomina phaseolina causing a charcoal rot 137

Table 1. The occurrence of Macrophomina phaseolina on sun-flower in Slovakia during 2004 and 2005.

Number of affected plants (%)Location

2004 2005

Veľaty – 10Svatuše – 10Lučenec – 5Fiľakovské Kováče – 24Rišňovce 95 55Alekšince 40 –Malanta 20 –Malý Cetín 60 –Dolný Štál 10 –Dulov Dvor 5 –Hul 70 –Vinodol 50 –Bíňa 30 –Podhájska 20 –Mojmírovce 10 –Komárno 10 –Zbrojníky – 40Kolíňany – 10Neverice – 10Zlaté Moravce – 5Vráble 40 15Cabaj-Čápor č. Pereš – 15Žihárec – 10Kamenín – 20Bruty – 10Borský Mikuláš – 10Bučany – 10Trnava – 10Pečeňady 30 –Madunice 10 –Trávnik – 10Sap – 10Lehnice – 15Bojničky – 30Šulekovo 5 –

week-old culture of M. phaseolina cultivated in Petridishes (80 mm in diameter) containing PDA was mixedwith the soil into which sunflower seeds were sown im-mediately. After 8 weeks, M. phaseolina was re-isolatedfrom the infected tissues of the cultivated sunflowerplants and placed on PDA.The pathogen is commonly widespread in warmer

European countries especially in Hungary (Varga et al.1997), Bulgaria (Alexandrov 1999), Croatia and Serbia(Acimovič 1962; Marič et al. 1988) but its occurrencewas recorded in Czech Republic (Šárová et al. 2003),with colder climatic conditions, too. We can assumegood adaptation capability of this pathogen in colderconditions similarly as in Italy, where it was recorded inwarmer regions first and later also in colder northern re-gions. In case of widespreading,M. phaseolina pathogenmay cause serious damage not only to sunflower, butalso to potato, soybean and another crops. Transfer ofthe pathogen by seeds increases its spread and risk ofinfection. Since the occurrence of this disease has beenconfirmed in Slovakia, the appropriate measures con-cerning the growing extent, monitoring the disease, andmanagement strategies must be taken.

Fig. 2. Pure culture of M. phaseolina cultivated in Petri dishes.The grey hyphae and black microsclerotia grew on the PDA.

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Received Nov. 18, 2005Accepted Dec. 7, 2006