International Research Journal of Biological Sciences ________________ ______ ____ _________ ISSN 2278 - 3202 Vol. 4 ( 1 1 ), 34 - 37 , November (201 5 ) Int. Res. J. Biological Sci. International Science Congress Association 34 Common F ungal L eaf spot diseases of Allium cepa L. and Allium sativum L. C rop from Maharashtra state, India Dongre Mayur A. and Borse K.N. Post Graduate Department of Botany, S.S.V.P. Sanstha’s L. K. Dr. P.R. Ghogrey Scie nce College, Dhule, Maharashtra, INDIA Available online at: www.isca.in , www.isca.me Received 14 th October 201 5 , revised 28 th October 201 5 , accepted 7 th November 201 5 Abstract Onion (Allium cepa L.) and Garlic (Allium sativum L.) are the two crops grown throughout Maharashtra These are the main crop of khandesh region especially Dhule and Nasik districts. These crops are taken throughout the year. Bulbs and bulbils are the main product of plant but plants leaves are also important source of vegetable. Onion and Garlic plant leaves are affected by three most important fungi, which cause heavy loss to the crop. These three pathogens are Alternaria porri (Ellis), Stemphyll ium vesicarrium (Wallr) E.G. Simmons, and Cercospora duddiae Welles. Keywords : Fungal diseases, allium, vegetables. Introducti on Onion, Allium cepa is an herbaceous biennial plant belongs to family Liliaceae grown for its edible leaves and bulb. The leaves are erect and 4 to 8 per plant. Garlic, Allium sativum is an herbaceous annual bulbous plant belongs to family Liliaceae grown for its edible leaves and bulb. The plant possesses 6 to 12 flat blade like le aves with pungent smell. Onions and Garlic crops are grown throughout the world for food purposes. In India, Maharashtra stand first in Onion production (30.22% of total onion production in India: ICAR Directorate of onion and Garlic research 1 , 2013 - 14), while in Garlic production Maharashtra stand seventh among Indian states (3.20% of total Indian garlic production: ICAR Directorate of onion and Garlic research 1, 2013 - 14). Material and M ethod s For pathological study on onion and garlic plant samples wer e collected from 12 Onion and Garlic growing areas of Maharashtra. These includes Khandesh (Site labelled as K1, K2, K3 and K4), Vidharbha (V1, V2, V3 and V4) and Marathwada (M1, M2, M3 and M4). ( table - 1 ) . Table - 1 Abbreviation of sample collection sites (+ indicate the appearance of pathogen while – indicates its absence from that site) Abbreviation for site Pathogen on Onion leaves Pathogen on Garlic leaves A. porri S.vasicarium C. duddiea A. porri S.vasicarium C. duddiea K1 + + _ + + _ K2 + + _ + + _ K3 + _ + + + + K4 + + + _ + V1 + + + + + _ V2 + _ + + _ _ V3 + _ _ + + + V4 _ + _ _ + + M1 + + _ + + _ M2 _ _ + + + _ M3 + + _ _ _ + M4 _ _ + _ _ + Research Journal of Biological Sciences _ _____________________ ______________ _______ ____ ____________ ISSN 2278 - 3202 Vol. 4 ( 1 1 ), 34 - 37 , November (201 5 ) Int. Res. J. Biological Sci. International Science Congress Association 35 Isolation of plant pathogen : Leaves showing spot diseases are collected from fields directly in a plastic bag. These bags were stored at room temperature for incubation. Sample was brought to laboratory for isolation of disease associated pathogen. Growth (Culturing) of pathogen : The plant with pathogen were kept on sterilised PDA media, then the plates was incubated at room temperature. After three days of incubation the mycelium growth was reported in some plates, while in other the growth was seen on plant material. Identification of pathogen : Morphological and cultured characters of isolated fungi were identified on the basis of literature available in text online as well as offline. Identification is based on align work comparison with standard text establishing their identity 2 - 8 . Test for pathogenicity : The pathogen isolated from the incubated sample were again inoculated in healthy leaves of Onion and Garlic under in - vitro condition. The same spot disease development confirms its pathogenicity.A. porri and S. Vasicarium rapidly grow on green leaves in field under moist condition 9 . Isolation and identification of pathogen : Isolation made from the infected leaves shows three pathogens namely Alternaria porri, Stemphyllium vesicarrium and Cercospora duddiae . The pure culture of Al ternaria and Stemphyllium were established on PDA. Characteristics of pathogenic fungi culture character and microscopic examinations are described below. Results and Discussion Colony and Morphological characters : Alternaria porri (Ellis) : On PDA pure culture initially shows greyish which later converted to dark brown and black. On the backside of culture plate black colour is prominent ( f igure - 1D) . The young hyphae were hyaline slender and septed. Radiating hyphae are initially white in colony later i t converted to brown in colour ( f igure - 1.C and D) . Conidiophore arise in group as well as in single, it is brown, erect cylindrical and septet ( f igure - 1.A) . Conidia were 100 to 300 µm long and 15 to 20 µm in diameter. Solitary in origin, generally straig ht but sometimes curved with 7 to 9 transverse septa and 1 to 3 longitudinal septa ( f igure - 1 B) . The above characters are supporting to identify the fungus as Alternaria porri: Ellis 10 . Figure - 1 Alternaria porri ( A - conidia and conidiophore; B - A single conidia; C - Infected leaf of Onion and D - Pure culture on PDA media isolate from plant material) Research Journal of Biological Sciences _ _____________________ ______________ _______ ____ ____________ ISSN 2278 - 3202 Vol. 4 ( 1 1 ), 34 - 37 , November (201 5 ) Int. Res. J. Biological Sci. International Science Congress Association 36 Stemphyllium vesicarrium (Wallr) E.G. Simmons : The colony on PDA shows brown colour which darke n as the age of culture, the yellowish brown margin of colony clearly seen from above and backside of culture. Hy phae septed and brown in colour ( f igure - 2A) . Conidiophore often arise in group, light to dark brown, up to 70 µm long, smooth, with one or mor e swellings and dark band from which conidia arise ( f igure - 2E). Conidia solitary straight or slightly curved, ellipsoidal or oval 20 – 50 µm in length and 15 – 26 µm in diameter, brown in colour 3 to 6 transverse septa and several longitudinal septa, often constricted in middle 11 ( f igure - 2B, C and E) . Cercospora duddiae Welles : Mostly this disease is seen in mature plant but it sometimes occurs during young stages in some plant. Leaf spot initially yellowish (Ash coloured) in colour which later converted to brownish or dark brown and finally black ( f igure - 3B) . Conidiophores emerging in cluster of 6 to 18. base of conidiophore is brown and tips are somewhat hyaline. Conidiophore straight scars are visible at tips. It is multiseptate 4 - 8 X 60 - 176 µm in size. ( f igure - 3A and D) . Conidia are hyaline long straight sometimes curved, multiseptate with broad base and pointed acute apex ( f igure - 3C) . Conclusion Various parameters like symptoms on plant, microscopic and macroscopic examination and culture characters prove the three pathogens are dominating the field of garlic and onion. Alternaria porri and Stemphyilium vasicarium mostly grow together in field of above crops. Cercospora duddiae infect the garlic and onion leaves at the time of harvesting s eason. Alternaria is most abundant among the field of both crops in Maharashtra. Acknowledgements Author is thanking to farmers and shopkeepers who permit for visiting and collecting samples and also thankful to principal of S.S.V.P. S’s L.K. Dr. P.R. G hogrey Science College, Dhule for providing laboratory. Figure - 2 Stemphyilium vasicarium (A - Pure culture isolate from plant material; B and C - A single conidia; D - Onion leaf with infection and E - Conidia with conidiophore) Research Journal of Biological Sciences _ _____________________ ______________ _______ ____ ____________ ISSN 2278 - 3202 Vol. 4 ( 1 1 ), 34 - 37 , November (201 5 ) Int. Res. J. Biological Sci. International Science Congress Association 37 Figure - 3 Cercospora duddiae (A - Conidiophores; B - Infected leaf of Garlic plant; C - A single conidia and Section of leaf through infection) References 1. http://www.dogr.res.in/index.php?option=com_content an d view=article and id=94 and Itemid=98 and lang=en (Retrieved on 2/10/ 2015 ) , (2015) 2. Barnett H.L. and Hunter B.B., Illustrated genera of imperfect fungi, 4 th edition, Amer Phytopathological Society press, St. Minnesota, USA (1998) 3. 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