Article Abstract

Volume 34, No. (3), 2024 (June)
Alternaria arborescens, IDENTIFIED AS A LEAF NECROSIS PATHOGEN OF Vigna radiata IN PAKISTAN
Sobiya Shafique, Shazia Shafique, Ume Attia, Mariam Zameer

S. Shafique¹, S. Shafique²*, U. Attia³, M. Zameer⁴

¹ Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, 54590.,
² Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, 54590.,
³ Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, 54590.,
⁴ Institute of molecular biology and Biotechnology, IMBB, University of the Lahore, Pakistan.,

Corresponding Author: shazia.iags@pu.edu.pk
Page Number(s): 652-661
Published Online First: March 22, 2024
Publication Date: May 31, 2024
ABSTRACT

Vigna radiata (mung bean) is a most cultivated legume crop having high nutritive and clinical value. A survey was accompanied to isolate leaf spot pathogen from mung bean plants. Infected leaf samples were collected and a novel pathogen, Alternaria arborescens was isolated and identified on morphological and molecular basis. Molecular identification was done using nucleotide sequence analysis of rDNA internal spacer sequence (ITS), partial glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), and elongation factor (EF) regions. Morphological characters demonstrated grayish-black, woolly, concentric rings on Malt Extract Agar (MEA) plates. The conidiophores were well defined; septate with terminal and sub-terminal branches having tan to brown, short ovoid or ellipsoid, and 7-11 µm sized conidia with transverse septation. In molecular characterization, BLAST analysis of the rDNA-ITS region of the pathogen, A. arborescens exhibited maximum (99%) homology with other A. arborescens GenBank strains. Similarly, 100% homology was found with partial glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and translation elongation factor. Afterward, Koch’s pathogenicity aptitude of the identified pathogen was confirmed by the occurrence of the same disease symptomology and re-isolation of identical organisms from artificially inoculated leaves in the in vitro and in vivo trials. The study signifies the novel documentation of A. arborescens as a leaf spot pathogen of mung bean in Pakistan. The manifestation of this pathogen could result in a serious economic impact on mung bean or might be a possible pathogen of other pulse crops if not managed in time.

Keywords: Alternaria arborescens, Genetic characterization, Leaf spot disease, Morphology, Vigna radiata

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Journal Impact Factor: 0.5 | (JCR Year: 2025) | Cite Score: 1.3

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Print ISSN: 1018-7081

Electronic ISSN: 2309-8694

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