Host, mating type and fertility of Magnaporthe grisea in Santiago Island, Capo Verde archipelago

Abstract

A severe leaf spot and blast disease caused by the fungus Magnaporthe grisea was detected on Panicum maximum in Santiago Island, Cape Verde. In a limited survey to determine the hosts of this fungus throughout the sub-humid and humid areas of this island, isolates of M. grisea were obtained from Brachiaria lata ssp. caboverdeana, Cynodon dactylon, Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Digitaria ciliaris, Digitaria nuda, Eleusine indica ssp. indica, Rottboellia cochinchinensis, Setaria verticillata and Stenotaphrum secundatum. The mating types (MATs) of 27 Capeverdean isolates were investigated by crossing them with four standard hermaphroditic testers. The MATs of 13 isolates (48%) were determined, of which six were MAT1-1 and seven MAT1-2. Mature ascospores were produced by three MAT1-2 isolates from E. indica ssp. indica. Attempts to mate hermaphrodite MAT1-2 Capeverdean isolates with the MAT1-1 Capeverdean isolates were unsuccessful.