First report of Rhizoctonia solani AG2-1 on roots of wheat in Kazakhstan

In June 2019, approximately 20 tillers of wheat (Triticum aestivumL.)were sampled at the ripening stage (Feekes scale 11) from four differentfields in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Brown lesions (3 to 5 mm in length) were pre-sent on the roots of sampled plants, with 20% incidence. To determine thecausal agent, diseased roots were surface disinfected in sodium hypochloritesolution (1%) for 3 min, rinsed three times with sterile distilled water, air-driedinalaminarflow hood, and plated onto one-fifthstrengthpotatodex-trose agar (PDA) supplemented with 50 ppm chloramphenicol. After 3 days,the hyphal fragments that developed from the sections were transferred tofresh PDA and incubated at 23C with a 12-h photoperiod for 7 days toobtain pure cultures. Brown pigmented fungal colonies with a constriction atthe base of hyphal branches, septa near the branching point, and right-angledbranching resemblingRhizoctonia solaniwere observed.