Identification of species inciting stem rot of dragon fruit in India through polyphasic approach.

species commonly thrive as endophytes, saprobes, and plant pathogens in tropical and subtropical regions. Association of species causing stem rot in dragon fruit in the coastal belt of Odisha, eastern India, has been illustrated here. The stem rot disease was characterized by yellowing of the stem, followed by softening of the stem tissues with fungal fructifications of the pathogen in the affected tissues. On the basis of macro- and micromorphological characteristics, the four fungal isolates recovered from diseased stems were identified initially as species. By comparing DNA sequences within the NCBI GenBank database as well as performing a multigene phylogenetic analysis involving the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS-rDNA), β-tubulin (), and elongation factor-alpha () genes, the identity of isolates was determined. The isolate CHES-21-DFCA was identified as (syn: ) and the remaining three isolates, namely CHES-22-DFCA-1, CHES-22-DFCA-2, and CHES-22-DFCA-3, as Although pathogenicity studies confirmed both  and were responsible for stem rot in dragon fruit, was more virulent than This study established the association of species with stem rot in dragon fruit using a polyphasic approach. Further investigations are required, particularly related to on host-pathogen-weather interaction and spatiotemporal distribution across the major dragon fruit-growing areas of the country to formulate prospective disease management strategies. This is the first report on these two species of inflicting stem rot in species in India.