Diversity and pathogenic characteristics of the Fusarium species isolated from minor legumes in Korea

Several legume plants exhibiting wilt symptoms were obtained from legume plantations in Korea from 2020 to 2021. Different fungal genera, including Fusarium spp.; Colletotrichum spp., Macrophomina spp., Rhizoctonia spp., Pythium sp., Phytophthora sp., and Lasiodiplodia sp., were isolated from the internal tissues of the obtained plant roots and stems. Fusarium spp. were the most dominant, accounting for 71% (29) of the isolates. The Fusarium isolates were identified via morphological characteristics and molecular identification using the DNA sequence of translation elongation factor 1 alpha and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit regions. In the pathogenicity test, Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium fujikuroi generally exhibited high virulence, and Fusarium falciforme , Fusarium metavorans , and Fusarium ipomoeae species exhibited low or no virulence. The NC20-738, NC20-739, and NC21-950 isolates demonstrated the widest host range as they infected all the nine crop plants. Conversely, the NC20-772 isolate induced disease only in adzuki beans and exhibited the narrowest host range. The diverse information regarding the Fusarium spp. obtained in this study will provide the basis for implementing management strategies for Fusarium -induced plant diseases to minimize economic loss associated with minor legume crops in Korea.