Detection and Prevalence of Fungal Diseases in Kiwi Cultivation Areas in the Western Black Sea Region

Surveys were conducted in kiwifruit orchards in Bartın, Düzce and Zonguldak provinces in the Western Black Sea Region between 2014 and 2016 to determine the diseases and their prevalence. In order to identify diseases of fruit, leaf, stem and root samples were collected and isolations were done using PDA and WA media. Pathogenicity tests were also performed using different types of techniques. For the leaf pathogens “Toothpick assay”, for the fruit pathogens “Fruit inoculation method” , for the stem pathogens “Stem inoculation method” methods were used. The isolates were reisolated from the infected tissues obtained in the pathogenicity tests. The isolates which were found pathogen in the pathogenicity tests were used in molecular studies to identify the fungus at the species level. For the molecular studies; DNA extraction were done using 10-12 day old culture with Qiagen Blood and Tissue Kit, PCR protocol were done using ITS 1-4 gene region, gel-electrophoresis were done, respectively. The PCR products were sent to the sequencing facilities. The results of sequences were aligned using software programme BIOEDIT, and nucleotide sequences were compared in NCBI website with other reference isolates. In this study, pathogenic fungi identified; Alternaria alternata, Alternaria tenuissima, Colletotrichum gleosporoides, Neopestalotiopsis egyptica, Neopestalotiopsis protearum, Diaporthe actinidae, Diaporthe nobilis, Valsa leucostoma, Botryosphaeria dothidea (Moug.:Fr.) Ces. & De Not., Phaeoacremonium aleophilum (Tulasne & C. Tulasne) D. Gramaje, L. Mostert & Crous, Cylindrocarpon macrodiymum, Botrytis cinerea Pers. Fr., Cladosporium macrodidymum, Armillaria mellea (Vahl) Kummer. In prevalence studies, the most common agents were determined as Alternaria spp, Colletotrichum gleosporoides, Diaporthe micspp., Pestalotiopsis spp.