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MORPHOLOGICAL VARIABILITY AND MYCELIAL COMPATIBILITY AMONG THE ISOLATES OF SCLEROTINIA SCLEROTIORUM ASSOCIATED WITH STEM ROT OF CHICKPEA

ABIDA AKRAM¹, SH. MUHAMMAD IQBAL², NAVEED AHMED¹, UMER IQBAL² AND ABDUL GHAFOOR²

Abstract: Variability among 16 isolates of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum associated with the stem rot of chickpea collected from various localities of Pakistan is reported. The isolates varied in colony morphology, mycelial growth rate, sclerotium formation, sclerotial size and color. Variability among the isolates on the basis of their mycelial compatibility was also observed and out of 120 combinations more than half showed compatible reactions between either two isolates. Based on mycelial compatibility, 58% vegetative compatibility groups (VCG) were identified among all the isolates. Sixteen isolates were grouped into two clusters at 50% dissimilarity and both the clusters consisted 8 isolates in each case. The members of same cluster were compatible in most of the cases, whereas it was not true for the isolates with different background on the basis of cultural and morphological characteristics. A detailed study to investigate molecular and genetic basis of diversity in relation to antagonistic activity is suggested.

University of Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan