Stem and root rot of Atractylodes lancea caused by Rhizoctonia spp., including a new subgroup of AG-6 (AG-6 Gv5) and virulence of Japanese AG-6 isolates
摘要
Yellowing of leaves and rot on roots or stems of Atractylodes lancea, an important medicinal plant, were observed in field plants and potted plants in Ibaraki and Hokkaido prefectures in Japan between 2008 and 2019. Three isolates obtained from diseased plants were identified as Rhizoctonia solani anastomosis group (AG)-2-2 IV, AG-6, and binucleate Rhizoctonia AG-A based on the number of nuclei, hyphal fusion reactions, PCR using specific primers, and rDNA-ITS sequences. In a phylogenetic tree based on rDNA-ITS, an AG-6 isolate formed a single clade with Chinese, Taiwanese, and Italian isolates and was separate from the five known AG-6 subgroups (HG-I and Gv1–4). These isolates shared low sequence similarity (94.2–97.0%) in the rDNA-ITS region with the five AG-6 subgroups. Therefore, we proposed a new subgroup, AG-6 Gv5. After virulence tests of three isolates from A. lancea in different conditions, an AG-2-2 IV isolate was highly virulent in seedlings and mature plants of A. lancea and more virulent than AG-6 Gv5 and AG-A isolates. When virulence of AG-6 Gv5 was compared with three AG-6 reference isolates, only the AG-6 Gv5 isolate had strong virulence in A. lancea seedlings. This report is the first of stem and root rot of A. lancea caused by Rhizoctonia spp. in Japan and is the first documentation of a crop disease caused by AG-6 in Japan.