DETECTION OF WHEAT SEEDLINGS DAMPING OFF AND ROOT ROT DISEASES PATHOGENS IN WASIT AND ANBAR PROVINCES OF IRAQ

Abstract

Results of isolation and identification of fungi associated with yellowing and crown wheat plant rot planted in Wasit and anbar province revealed the occurrence of these fungi Fusarium avenaceum-1,Fusarium avenaceum-2, Fusarium solani, Rhizoctonia solani-1, Rhizoctonia solani-2, Rhizoctonia solani-3 Aspergillus spp. and Stemphylium spp. with occurrence frequency 100, 90, 70, 8, 7, 5, 4 and 30% respectively in tested samples. The pathogenicity evaluation test for isolated fungi showed that isolate F1 belong to fusarium avenaceum was the more virulent one as manifested by the high percentage of seedling damping off (79.9). The results also showed difference response of the tested cultivars to the infection by F1 isolat. Wheat cultivars Mexican-17, Mansour Bellah, Tammoze-3, Alhadbaa, Kaed and Ezze recorded damping off percentages74, 60, 82, 49, 53 and 38 respectively.These result considered the importance of some isolated fungi in induced root rot and damping off wheat diseases, which is the first record for Fusarium avenaceum in Iraq.