First report of Fusarium pallidoroseum (Cooke) Sacc. on Bael (Aegle marmelos Correa) causing leaf spot and die back disease in nursery

First report of Fusarium pallidoroseum (Cooke) Sacc. on Bael in nursery

Abstract

Bael is a very popular indigenous fruit of India. Cultivation of bael is a lucrative venture because of its high pharmaceutical importance. The deciduous tree with trifoliate aromatic leaves offering of bael leaves is a compulsory ritual of the worship of lord shiva. In bael nursery, disease appeared during post rainy season (September) as irregular pustules, which was brown in colour, increases very fast and covers the most of the leaf area. After severe infection, affected leaves become dry and fall off. The disease progresses downward causing dieback symptoms but roots are remain healthy and they produces new shoots after destroying the vegetative parts. This type of symptoms incited by Fusarium pallidoroseum (Cooke) Sacc. was identified as a causal organism. The pathogenicity test of the fungus was established. Fusarium pallidoroseum produce smooth and creamyhite colony, grew rapidly on PDA medium at 25⁰C to 26⁰C and produced rose pink colored woolly to cottony, flat spreading colonies when mature. The mass of the mycelium was very compact in nature. The fungus produced both macro and micro conidia, which are hyaline, septate and ends are also hook shaped. Mycelia are thin and septate. Macro conidia were produced from phialides on unbranched or branched conidiophpres. Macro conidia born in sporodochia were curved; possess a foot cell, 3-5 septate.  Micro conidia are single celled, smooth, hyaline, ovoid to cylindrical.