Vol. 10, Issue 1 (2021)

Author(s):
SN Banne, Sunita J Magar, Shruti S Kadam and AP Suryawanshi

Abstract:
Fungal blights are among the major concern for limiting the cultivation and production of many ornamental and flowering plants. Chrysanthemum is an important cut flower with great export potential. However, it is infected by many pathogens in the protected cultivation. Diseased chrysanthemum samples were collected from chrysanthemum gardens, nurseries and farmers orchards in the Latur district for cultural and morphological characterization of Alternaria alternata. The collected isolates of A. alternata, from various varieties / hybrids of chrysanthemum were characterized, based on their mycelial growth, growth rate, colony appearance, colony shape and margin, sporulation and concentric zonation and morphological characters (mycelial width, conidia dimensions, beak length and numbers of vertical and horizontal septa). The highest colony growth was found in Ac-1, Ac-3 and ac-4 followed byAc-5. Excellent sporulation was found in isolates such as Ac-1, Ac-3, Ac-5 and Ac-9. Four isolates Ac- 10, Ac-9, Ac-8 and Ac-7 showed large sized mycelial width ranged from 7.15-9.48 µm. Ac-9 and Ac-10 isolates was showed large sized conidia (42.17- 60.29 L X 9.40-11.77 W). Three isolates Ac-5, Ac-9 and Ac-8 showed large sized beak length ranged from 13.52- 15.29 µm, whereas horizontal septation ranged from 1-9 and vertical septation from 1-5.