Vol. 11, Issue 4 (2022)

Author(s):
Navyashree SE, Devappa V, Sangeetha CG, Honnabyraiah MK, Shivanna M and Shankarappa TH

Abstract:
Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is one of the commercially important fruit crops of India. It is native of Iran, but spread to Mediterranean countries at an early date. Wilt caused by Ceratocystis fimbriata Ell. and Halst. is currently one of the most important diseases affecting pomegranate. To study the morphological variability of fifteen pathogenic isolates, characteristics such as, colony color, type of colony growth and type of margin and growth rate were assessed on potato dextrose agar. Pathogen produced septate mycelium which was initially whitish grey and changed to dark grey on potato dextrose agar. With respect to colony growth, all the isolates exhibited flat growth and none of them were fluffy. When isolates observed for colony margin, all isolates exhibited uniform colony margin except isolate Cf-7 and most of the isolates had taken 15-24 days to cover the entire Petri plate. The pathogen was observed for the production of different spores such as endoconidia, aleurioconidia, perithecia and ascospores. Endoconidia were hyaline, cylindrical and measured 9.10-25.80 × 3.50-7.50 μm and aleurioconidia were thick walled pyriform with size of 8.70-17.00 × 8.20-12.00 μm. Black colored perithecia with globose base bearing long neck was observed with size of 480.00-880.00 × 20.00-38.00 μm exuding small, hyaline and hat shaped ascospores from the apex of the perithecium which measures 3.60-5.00 × 2.50-4.00 μm.