Molecular variability in Curvularia lunata isolates causing Curvularia leaf spot of maize in Karnataka

Abstract

Molecular variability of Curvularia lunata pathogen causing Curvularia leaf spot of maize was carried out by using ITS primers and subsequently subjected to sequence analyses. Results revealed that, phylogenetic analysis grouped Curvularia lunata, isolates into two main clusters with 0.005 similarity coefficient. The similarity coefficient ranged from 0.001 to 0.005 indicating good level of similarity. UPGMA cluster analysis based on genetic distance coefficients clearly separated all the isolates. Out of five isolates Bailhongal, Badami, Davangere and Dharwad isolates were grouped under cluster I, whereas Mundagod isolate formed separate cluster II. In cluster I, Bailhongal and Dharwad isolates were showed almost one per cent of divergence. In cluster II only one isolate Mundagod was present with nearly 5.5 per cent divergence compared to cluster I, this indicated there was 96.5 per cent of similarity among the isolates of Curvularia lunata.