DISTRIBUTION AND DIVERSITY OF FUSARIUM SPECIES ASSOCIATED WITH GRASSES IN TEN STATES THROUGHOUT PENINSULAR MALAYSIA

Fusarium  is one of   the  important genera associated with grasses as saprophytes, endophytes and  pathogens. A  study was  carried  out  on  distribution  and  diversity  of  Fusarium  species associated  with  two  groups  of   grasses  in  10  states  throughout  Peninsular  Malaysia  i.e. agricultural  grasses  (Oryza  sativa  and  Saccharum  officinarum)  and  non-agricultural  grasses (Axonopus compressus, Centhotheca lappacea, Chloris barbata, Crysopogon aciculatus, Cyanadon dactylon, Dactyloctenium  aegyptium, Digitaria  ciliaris,  Echinochloa  colona,  Eleusine  indica,  Eragrostis  amabilis, Eragrostis malayana, Eragrostis uniloides, Ischaemum magnum, Panicum brevifolium, Panicum millaneum, Panicum repens, Paspalum  commersonii, Paspalum  conjugatum, Paspalum orbiculare, Pennisetum purpureum, Sacciolepis  indica, Sporobolus diander and Sporobolus  indicus). A  total of  474  isolates were single-spored and  identified by morphological characteristics. F.  semitectum was  frequently  isolated (23.6%), followed by F. sacchari and F. fujikuroi with 15.4% and 14.6%, respectively. The other nine species were F. solani (10.3%), F. proliferatum (8.9%), F. oxysporum (7.4%), F. subglutinans (6.5%), F.  equiseti  (5.5%), F.  verticillioides  (3.4%), F.  compactum  (2.5%), F.  chlamydosporum  (1.1%) and F. longipes (0.8%). Based on the Shannon-Weiner Index, F. solani was the highest (H' = 2.62) isolated from grasses. Species of  Fusarium from O. sativa were widely diverse with 11 species, followed by non-agricultural grasses with nine species and S. officinarum with only six species. This  is  the  first  report on diversity of  Fusarium associated with grasses  in Malaysia.Key words: Oryza  sativa,  Saccharum  officinarum,  non-agricultural  grass,  Fusarium  species, diversity  and Graminea

Production of major mycotoxins by fusarium species isolated from wild grasses in Peninsular Malaysia

The Fusarium species are notoriously known for causing various plants and animal diseases and producing a number of harmful mycotoxins. The mycotoxins production by species recovered from non-agricultural hosts such as wild grasses have hitherto never been given attention. We examined 30 strains representing 12 Fusarium species i.e. F. oxysporum, F. solani, F. semitectum, F. nelsonii, F. compactum, F. equiseti, F. chlamydosporum, F. proliferatum, F. subglutinans, F. sacchari, F. lateritium and F. incarnatum-equiseti species complex isolated from wild grasses in Peninsular Malaysia for the production of four major mycotoxins i.e. moniliformin (MON), fumonisin B1 (FB1), zearalenone (ZEN) and beauvericin (BEA) using TLC and HPLC techniques. BEA was the highest frequency of mycotoxin detected, followed by MON, ZEN and FB1. This study also presented the first report of BEA production by F. solani, F. compactum and F. chlamydosporum. All mycotoxins were not produced by F. nelsonii and F. lateritium. All Fusarium species were isolated from asymptomatic grasses, hence they are likely to exist as endophytes or latent pathogens

DISTRIBUTION AND DIVERSITY OF FUSARIUM SPECIES ASSOCIATED WITH GRASSES IN TEN STATES THROUGHOUT PENINSULAR MALAYSIA

Fusarium  is one of   the  important genera associated with grasses as saprophytes, endophytes and  pathogens. A  study was  carried  out  on  distribution  and  diversity  of  Fusarium  species associated  with  two  groups  of   grasses  in  10  states  throughout  Peninsular  Malaysia  i.e. agricultural  grasses  (Oryza  sativa  and  Saccharum  officinarum)  and  non-agricultural  grasses (Axonopus compressus, Centhotheca lappacea, Chloris barbata, Crysopogon aciculatus, Cyanadon dactylon, Dactyloctenium  aegyptium, Digitaria  ciliaris,  Echinochloa  colona,  Eleusine  indica,  Eragrostis  amabilis, Eragrostis malayana, Eragrostis uniloides, Ischaemum magnum, Panicum brevifolium, Panicum millaneum, Panicum repens, Paspalum  commersonii, Paspalum  conjugatum, Paspalum orbiculare, Pennisetum purpureum, Sacciolepis  indica, Sporobolus diander and Sporobolus  indicus). A  total of  474  isolates were single- spored and  identified by morphological characteristics. F.  semitectum was  frequently  isolated (23.6%), followed by F. sacchari and F. fujikuroi with 15.4% and 14.6%, respectively. The other nine species were F. solani (10.3%), F. proliferatum (8.9%), F. oxysporum (7.4%), F. subglutinans (6.5%), F.  equiseti  (5.5%), F.  verticillioides  (3.4%), F.  compactum  (2.5%), F.  chlamydosporum  (1.1%) and F. longipes (0.8%). Based on the Shannon-Weiner Index, F. solani was the highest (H' = 2.62) isolated from grasses. Species of  Fusarium from O. sativa were widely diverse with 11 species, followed by non-agricultural grasses with nine species and S. officinarum with only six species. This  is  the  first  report on diversity of  Fusarium associated with grasses  in Malaysia. Key words: Oryza  sativa,  Saccharum  officinarum,  non-agricultural  grass,  Fusarium  species, diversity  and Graminea

DISTRIBUTION AND DIVERSITY OF FUSARIUM SPECIES ASSOCIATED WITH GRASSES IN TEN STATES THROUGHOUT PENINSULAR MALAYSIA

Fusarium is one of the important genera associated with grasses as saprophytes, endophytes and pathogens. A study was carried out on distribution and diversity of Fusarium species associated with two groups of grasses in 10 states throughout Peninsular Malaysia i.e. agricultural grasses (Oryza sativa and Saccharum officinarum) and non-agricultural grasses (Axonopus compressus, Centhotheca lappacea, Chloris barbata, Crysopogon aciculatus, Cyanadon dactylon, Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Digitaria ciliaris, Echinochloa colona, Eleusine indica, Eragrostis amabilis, Eragrostis malayana, Eragrostis uniloides, Ischaemum magnum, Panicum brevifolium, Panicum millaneum, Panicum repens, Paspalum commersonii, Paspalum conjugatum, Paspalum orbiculare, Pennisetum purpureum, Sacciolepis indica, Sporobolus diander and Sporobolus indicus). A total of 474 isolates were single-spored and identified by morphological characteristics. F. semitectum was frequently isolated (23.6%), followed by F. sacchari and F. fujikuroi with 15.4% and 14.6%, respectively. The other nine species were F. solani (10.3%), F. proliferatum (8.9%), F. oxysporum (7.4%), F. subglutinans (6.5%), F. equiseti (5.5%), F. verticillioides (3.4%), F. compactum (2.5%), F. chlamydosporum (1.1%) and F. longipes (0.8%). Based on the Shannon-Weiner Index, F. solani was the highest (H' = 2.62) isolated from grasses. Species of Fusarium from O. sativa were widely diverse with 11 species, followed by non-agricultural grasses with nine species and S. officinarum with only six species. This is the first report on diversity of Fusarium associated with grasses in Malaysia