First report of Fusarium sacchari causing root rot of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) in China

Xiangcheng county has a long history of tobacco planting, it is one of the three cradles of flue-cured tobacco in China, and has the reputation of “Eastern Virginia”. In recent years, tobacco fusarium root rot has gradually become a devastating disease in this area. The occurrence of root rot was observed in tobacco fields of Xiangcheng County, China. The symptoms showed as plant wilt, leaf chlorosis and root necrosis. The isolated fungus was identified as Fusarium sacchari by morphological characteristics and molecular analysis of translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1α), the RNA polymerase II largest subunit (RPB1) and second largest subunit (RPB2) gene sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of the concatenated three-loci of EF-1α, RPB1 and RPB2 showed that the isolate was placed in the F. sacchari group, and the Bootstrap value reached 99%. Pathogenicity test showed that F. sacchari could cause tobacco root rot. This is the first report of F. sacchari causing tobacco root rot in China. •Fusarium sacchari was isolated from the dicotyledonous crop root.•Fusarium sacchari could cause tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) root rot.•Fusarium sacchari from tobacco were placed in F. sacchari group of sugarcane and grass.•This is the first report of F. sacchari causing tobacco root rot in China.