Specific detection of the toxigenic species Fusarium proliferatum and F. oxysporum from asparagus plants using primers based on calmodulin gene sequences

Fusarium proliferatum and Fusarium oxysporum are the causal agents of a destructive disease of asparagus called Fusarium crown and root rot. F. proliferatum from asparagus produces fumonisin B-1 and B-2 which have been detected as natural contaminants in infected asparagus plants. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were developed for the rapid identification of F. proliferatum and F. oxysporum in asparagus plants. The primer pairs are based on calmodulin gene sequences. The PCR products from F. proliferatum and F. oxysporum were 526 and 534 bp long, respectively. The assays were successfully applied to identify both species from the vegetative part of the plants. (C) 2003 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.