Molecular characterization of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri causing wilt of chickpea

Thirty isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri were isolated from rhizosphere soil of chickpea from different locations in Northern India. The amount of genetic variation was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification with a set of 40 RAPD primers and 2 IGS primers. Less than 10% of the amplified fragments in each case were polymorphic. Genetic similarity between each of the isolates was calculated and results indicate that there was little genetic variability among the isolates collected from the different locations. At the 0.75 similarity index the isolates divides into three groups. Isolates Foc-A18, Foc-A19, Foc-A20 forming a similar group and far different from other isolates.Key words: Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri, Fusarium wilt of chickpea, RAPD, ITS, IGS