Identification, Variability and Phylogeny of Alternaria linicola Associated with Linseed in Egypt

M.A. Elwakil, Nehal S. Arafat and Y.M. Shabana

Background and Objective: Alternaria linicola Groves and Skolko causes damping-off and seedling blight of flax. The identification of the pathogen depends on their morphological, physiological, cultural, molecular characteristics. The present study was undertaken to identify A. linicola based on these characters and to study the variability in the fungus isolates in terms of their growth on different media, enzymes activity as well as molecular pattern. The data may help to understand fungal epidemiology. Materials and Methods: Twenty-one seed samples of flax were collected from farms of the Agricultural Research Centre in different geographic locations of Egypt. Ten isolates of the fungus were identified and classified into three groups depending on their habit characters on flaxseeds. The morphological, molecular, cultural characteristics and enzymes activities of the fungal isolates were get done. Analysis of variance was performed using CoStat 6.4. Means were compared using Fisher's LSD test or Duncan's New Multiple New Range test. Results: The fungal isolates showed notable variation in their cultural behaviour on different media. Poor variation in the enzyme activities represented amylase, cellulase, pectinase and chitinase were shown. One isolate (AL9) was highly sporulated on Shahin medium and, highly pectinase producer but moderate in amylase and cellulase production, fair in the production of chitinase. The molecular features of the 10 isolates were used to design the phylogenetic tree of the fungus. Conclusion: This study highlights the variation in the profile of A. linicola isolates and shows its phylogenetic tree, which may help understand the epidemiology of the fungus.

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