Fusarium chlamydosporum, causing wilt disease of chili (Capsicum annum L.) and brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) in Northern Himalayas: a first report.

Chili (Capsicum annuum L.) and brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) are the most widely grown solanaceous crops in the world. However, their production has reduced over several years due to the attack of various fungal and bacterial pathogens and various abiotic factors. Still, the major constrain in their production are pathogens with fungal etiology, especially the fungal wilt of solanaceous crops. Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium solani have been previously identified as the pathogens causing wilt disease in chili and brinjal. Recently, a new fungal pathogen F. equiseti has been reported as the causal agent of wilt disease infecting chili. The current study focused on identifying fungal pathogens associated with the wilted plants of chili and brinjal, collected from different parts of the Himalayan region of Kashmir valley, through morpho-cultural and molecular characterization. DNA extraction, PCR amplification, and sequencing were performed on various isolates. DNA barcoding using the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) was used to identify the pathogen followed by the pathogenicity test. Further confirmation of the pathogen was done by sequencing of transcription elongation factor (TEF) and Calmodulin (CAL2). In current study Fusarium chlamydosporum has been reported as the wilt causing pathogen of chili and brinjal for the first time in Kashmir Himalayas.