Molecular Identification and Virulence of Leaf Diseases on Turfgrass Areas in Türkiye

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 53 - 58

Filiz Ünal , Yeşim Eğerci

Abstract

It is important to investigate the causes of disorders such as drying, yellowing, curling and stunting in turfgrass plants widely used in many areas today, and to maintain the original color of the turfgrass plant and to sustain these areas in a healthy and durable way. One of the most important factors that cause damage to turfgrass is leaf diseases. In this study, 290 leaf samples with disease symptoms such as leaf yellowing, spotting and blight were collected from turfgrass areas consisting of recreation areas, parks, stadiums, picnic areas and refuges in the provinces of İzmir, Ankara, Kayseri, İstanbul, Antalya, Aydın, Muğla and Bursa. As a result of the isolations and DNA sequence analyses made from these leaves, 2216 isolates belonging to the genera Curvularia, Bipolaris, Exserohilum, Colletotrichum, Pyricularia, Leptosphaeria, Ascochyta, Didymella, Pestalotiopsis, Myrothecium, Phoma and Diplodia were obtained. The most isolated fungus in the study was Phoma herbarum. The disease severity values of all isolated isolates were determined in petri dishes and greenhouse conditions. In the pathogenicity studies conducted in the greenhouse, the most virulent leaf pathogens were determined to be Bipolaris sorokiniana and B. cynodontis with 98% disease severity value.

Keywords

Turfgrass , leaf diseases , Bipolaris , Curvularia , pathogenicity

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