Histopathological Changes in Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum L.) Plants Induced by the Infection of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, the Cause of Tomato Wilt Disease
Histopathological Changes in Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum L.) Plants Induced by the Infection of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, the Cause of Tomato Wilt Disease
Maryam Yousaf1, Salman Ahmad1*, Romana Anjum2 and Muhammad Zeeshan Majeed3
ABSTRACT
A study was conducted to evaluate the structural and functional modifications in tomato Lycopersicum esculentum nursery seedlings in response to tomato wilt disease caused by fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL). Two months old tomato seedlings were grown under normal conditions in green house and were artificially inoculated with FOL conidial suspension of 1×106 conidia/mL by drenching method. Untreated plants served as control. First disease symptoms appeared after seven days of inoculation and seedlings became wilted within 30 days post inoculation. Stems from wilted as well as control seedlings were cross sectioned to observe the histopathological modifications. Wilted cross sections represented the cell wall disintegration and disruption of the tissues along with the blockage in xylem and phloem vessels due to the tylone production. Hyphal growth and proliferated hyphae inside the root cortex were also observed. We concluded that FOL fungus penetrated into the cell wall of the tomato seedlings through hyphae and proliferated into the cortex. Later on, it progressed into the roots and stem, started blocking of the xylem and phloem by producing tylones and deposition of phenolic compounds that supported the FOL to further multiply until the seedlings started wilting and became dead. Moreover, a gradual decrease in shoot height and root length was also observed in the diseased plant as compared to healthy plants.
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