Morphologically and Molecularly Identification of the Fungus that Causes White Mold Disease on Eggplant and Cucumber

Abstract

This study aimed to isolate the causal agent of white mold on eggplant caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and it was examined microscopically and molecularly. The pathogenicity of 16 isolates of the pathogenic fungus was evaluated from soil and plant residues, eggplant and cucumber plants (ScE1– ScE8) and (ScC1 – ScC8), respectively, from fields in different areas of Baghdad governorate of Baghdad (Abi Ghraib/Zidan, Al-Yusufiyah, Mada'in/Tuwaitha and Jadiriyah / University of Baghdad). The results of testing the pathogenicity of isolates of the pathogenic fungus showed that all isolates had a significant effect in reducing the percentage of seed germination compared to the control treatment in which the germination rate was 100%. The isolate ScE2 isolated from eggplant plants significantly outperformed the rest of the isolates, followed by isolates ScE1, ScC2, ScE3, ScE4, ScE2 and ScE5, followed by the rest of the isolates with a significant effect, the percentage of germination for the rest of the isolates ranged between 20-30%. The identificationof the two most pathogenic isolates was confirmed by PCR technology on eggplant and cucumber based on the ITS1 and ITS4 gene. The two isolates were deposited in (NCBI) under accession numbers MZ424307 and MZ424308.