Shallot (Allium cepa L.) is one of the favorite commodities cultivated by the farming community in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Indonesia. However, its potential yield may decline both in quantity and quality due to the fusarium wilt disease and because of the limited information about the wilt disease in shallots. Therefore, the presented research aimed to a) determine the percentage of fusarium wilt disease incidence, b) investigate the new species of pathogen that causes fusarium wilt disease in shallots, and c) identify the distribution of fusarium pathogen species in shallots. The collected shallot samples came from 69 cultivation centers in Lombok Island, identifying the fungus based on morphological characteristics (colony shape, color, hyphae, conidia, and chlamydospores), while applying the ITS (Internal Transcript Spacer) rDNA sequences for molecular examination. The results showed fusarium wilt disease incidence in shallots (A. cepa L.) was 45.67%. Various Fusarium species as a causative disease on shallot plants were Fusarium oxysporum, F. solani, and F. proliferatum, distributed in 60 (86.96%), 54 (78.36%), and 43 (60.87%) locations, respectively. Furthermore, a new species (Fusarium proliferatum) of causative disease as fusarium wilt on shallots was evident in Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.
Shallots (A. cepa L.), fusarium wilt disease, pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, Fusarium proliferatum
The filamentous fungus from Fusarium proliferatum was the firstly recognized species causing fusarium wilt disease in shallots (A. cepa L.) on Lombok Island, NTB, Indonesia. The fusarium species Fusarium proliferatum infestation was prevalent in more than 50% of locations, which confirmed the said species had a remarkable role in shallot yield losses.