First report of Fusarium hostae causing crown rot on wheat in Azerbaijan

Abstract

In June 2017, 76 fields were surveyed in the main bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) growing regions of Azerbaijan to identify the fungi causing crown and root rot. Diseased plants were collected at just prior to maturity, at maturity, and/or after harvest. About 20 to 30 tillers of wheat were randomly sampled from each field (about 5 ha), put in paper bags, and transported to the laboratory. The crown, root, and stem base tissues of each plant were rinsed with tap water to remove soil particles and examined for lesions. Sections (3 cm) of symptomatic tissues were surface disinfested with 1% NaOCl for 1 min, rinsed with sterile distilled water, and air dried on sterilized filter paper in a laminar flow.