Morphological and molecular characterization of Verticillium dahliae population occurring in different olive-growing regions of Morocco

Abstract

In order to characterize the V. dahliae population occurring in different olive-growing regions of Morocco, a morphological and molecular study was con-ducted. According to pigmentation and appearance of the mycelium, isolates were classified into three morphotypes. The dimensions length (leng) and width (lar) of conidia showed no significant differences between isolates. During molecular confirmation of the isolates identity, we found a polymor-phism linked to the origin of extracted DNA (mycelium or microsclerotia cell). The molecular approach based on the use of three specific primers for amplification of the 32 isolates’genomic DNA , allowed us to divide the fun-gal collection into two groups defoliating and non-defoliating. The DNA ori-gin and the degree of pathogenicity of the isolate appeared to be respon-sible for this polymorphism. Therefore this study indicates a correlation bet-ween the pathotype and pathogenicity of the fungus.