Diversity in Morphological Characteristics of C. fimbriata Isolates on Oat Meal Agar: Unveiling Variability and Patterns

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is one of the important fruit crops cultivated all over the world, particularly in tropical and sub-tropics. It is affected by several diseases of which wilt one of the most important diseases caused by Ceratocystis fimbriata. Very little work is done on the characterization of C. fimbriata associated with pomegranate wilt in Karnataka. Although the morphological structures defining this species are reasonably defined. In recent years, several orchards of farmers have been severely infected by wilt and were removed in Karnataka state. This may be due to changes in the pathogenic characteristics of the fungus. Moreover, variability is the property of an organism to change its character from one generation to the other. Therefore, there is a need to study on morphological variability of C. fimbriata. On oatmeal agar, C. fimbriata produced a maximum colony diameter (90 mm) after 16 days of incubation at room temperature. Dark-shaded perithecia with a globose base were seen with a size of 181.1 x 131.2 μm, radiating little, hyaline and cap-formed ascospores from the summit of the perithecium which measures 5.13 x 4.27 μm. Endoconidia were hyaline, round, and hollow, and the normal size was 23.6 x 4.90 μm. Aleurioconidia were thick-walled ellipsoidal or pyriform with size of 18.5 x 10.10 μm. Morphological variability showed little variation among C. fimbriata with respect size of perithecia, ascospores, endoconidia, and alerioconidia.