First Report of Fomitopsis marianiae as a Causal Agent of Brown Wood Rot in Hazelnut (Corylus avellana) Worldwide
JOURNAL OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY, cilt.174, sa.1, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 174 Sayı: 1
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1111/jph.70243
- Dergi Adı: JOURNAL OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Environment Index, Geobase
- Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) is a cornerstone of T & uuml;rkiye's agricultural economy, accounting for over 60% of global production. In 2022, a wood decay disease was observed in orchards of Samsun Province, affecting 3% (15 of 500) of surveyed trees. Symptoms included branch dieback and canopy chlorosis, while internal inspection revealed extensive brown rot of the xylem. Fungal isolates consistently produced white, fast-growing colonies with clamp connections. Multilocus sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), large subunit (LSU) and small subunit (SSU) ribosomal DNA regions, and the partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1) gene identified the pathogen as Fomitopsis marianiae. Phylogenetic analysis of ITS + tef1 datasets placed the Turkish isolate within the F. marianiae clade. Pathogenicity was confirmed by inoculating 1-year-old hazelnut seedlings, which developed necrotic lesions averaging 3.88 +/- 0.22 cm within 3.5 months; the fungus was successfully reisolated, fulfilling Koch's postulates. This study represents the first report of F. marianiae as a pathogen of hazelnut and, more broadly, its first documentation in any agricultural system. These findings identify F. marianiae as an emerging threat to a globally important nut crop and highlight the need for targeted disease surveillance and management strategies.