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Pathogen

Fusarium cerealis

Overview

Scientific name

Fusarium cerealis

Genus

Fusarium

EPPO code

FUSACW

Common name

Head blight

Synonyms

Fusarium crookwellense

Description

From ISTA Fusarium CT Appendix 2:

On Malt-agar the mycelium is abundant and aerial, white to pink, sometimes yellow. Sporodochia are orange to red brown.
On PDA growth is rapid, with dense aerial mycelium, white in colour and then tan. The under-surface is carmine red. Orange to red brown sporodochia generally appear early in the centre of the culture and later in other portions of the culture.
Conidiophores: Unbranched and branched monophialides.
Macroconidia are strongly septate, thick-walled, and unequally curved, with the ventral surface less curved than the dorsal surface, which is strongly arched. The basal cell is distinctly foot shaped. The apical cell is distinctly curved and tapers to a narrow tip.
Microconidia are absent.
Chlamydospores are present and are formed in the hyphae and the macroconidia.

The naming of Fusarium crookwellense is controversial. In The Fusarium Laboratory Manual by Leslie, Summerell and Bullock, they note the similarity to F. cerealis and list it as a synonym. But the EPPO website states that according to some taxonomic sources, Fusarium cerealis is considered to be a synonym of Fusarium sambucinum.

Images of Fusarium cerealis

Fusarium cerealis on Triticum spp.
click for more information

Fusarium cerealis on Triticum spp.

Image credits: Nicole Calliou, CA

Fusarium crookwellense is often confused with F. culmorum (due to their growth habits, and wide spores), but the spores should have a distinct foot cell, that is absent with F. culmorum. Also, they tend to be 5-7 septate (not 2-5 septate like F. culmorum).


sterilisation: 1% NaOCl 4 min | growth time: 5 days | temperature: 25+/-2C | lighting: 3:1 (fluorescent:nUV), within 60cm of light. Alternating light/dark in 12 hr intervals | plate size: 100mm | agar: PDA ( Neogen)

Fusarium cerealis on Triticum spp.
click for more information

Fusarium cerealis on Triticum spp.

Image credits: Nicole Calliou, CA

Fusarium crookwellense is often confused with F. culmorum (due to their growth habits, and wide spores), but the spores should have a distinct foot cell, that is absent with F. culmorum. Also, they tend to be 5-7 septate (not 2-5 septate like F. culmorum).


sterilisation: 1% NaOCl 4 min | growth time: 5 days | temperature: 25+/-2C | lighting: 3:1 (fluorescent:nUV), within 60cm of light. Alternating light/dark in 12 hr intervals | plate size: 100mm | agar: PDA ( Neogen)

Fusarium cerealis on Triticum spp.
click for more information

Fusarium cerealis on Triticum spp.

Image credits: Nicole Calliou, CA

Fusarium crookwellense is often confused with F. culmorum (due to their growth habits, and wide spores), but the spores should have a distinct foot cell, that is absent with F. culmorum. Also, they tend to be 5-7 septate (not 2-5 septate like F. culmorum).


sterilisation: 1% NaOCl 4 min | growth time: 5 days | temperature: 25+/-2C | lighting: 3:1 (fluorescent:nUV), within 60cm of light. Alternating light/dark in 12 hr intervals | plate size: 100mm | agar: PDA ( Neogen)

Fusarium cerealis on Triticum spp.
click for more information

Fusarium cerealis on Triticum spp.

Image credits: Nicole Calliou, CA

Fusarium crookwellense is often confused with F. culmorum (due to their growth habits, and wide spores), but the spores should have a distinct foot cell, that is absent with F. culmorum. Also, they tend to be 5-7 septate (not 2-5 septate like F. culmorum).


sterilisation: 1% NaOCl 4 min | growth time: 5 days | temperature: 25+/-2C | lighting: 3:1 (fluorescent:nUV), within 60cm of light. Alternating light/dark in 12 hr intervals | plate size: 100mm | agar: PDA ( Neogen)