Assessing the genetic diversity of Alternaria Bataticola in South Africa using molecular markers

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dc.contributor.authorChalwe, Joseph Musonda
dc.contributor.co-supervisorAdebola, Patrick, Dr.
dc.contributor.supervisorPillay, Michael, Prof.
dc.date.accessioned2016-07-12T08:58:28Z
dc.date.available2016-07-12T08:58:28Z
dc.date.issued2015
dc.descriptionM. Tech. (Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences), Vaal University of Technology.en_US
dc.description.abstractSweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) is an important food crop that is grown in many countries. A number of viral and fungal sweetpotato diseases have been reported worldwide. One of the major and most economic diseases of the sweetpotato is Alternaria blight which is caused by the fungal pathogen Alternaria bataticola. This disease can be managed in a short term using fungicides and cultural practices. However, a long term and inexpensive approach is through the development of resistant cultivars. A prerequisite to this approach is the knowledge of the genetic diversity of this fungal pathogen. This study assessed the genetic diversity of 25 South African isolates of A. bataticola from naturally infected leaves and stems collected from different sweetpotato growing regions in South Africa by (i) characterising the isolates based on their morphology (ii) pathogenicity tests (iii) random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) (iv) variation of the ITS2 sequences and (v) prediction of the ITS2 secondary structures. The isolates revealed some variation in colony colour pigments after culturing but Koch’s postulates were confirmed by their pathogenicity tests. The analysis of RAPD and variation of the ITS2 sequences showed high levels of variation (100%) among the isolates. Dendrograms generated from these analyses had many subclusters and did not cluster the isolates according to their geographic origins. The ITS2 secondary structures were predicted and can be used to identify and distinguish the isolates. This information in addition to the genetic diversity of the A. bataticola isolates will aid plant breeders in the development of resistant sweetpotato cultivars and early management of blight disease in South Africa.en_US
dc.format.extentxxi, 114 leaves: illustrationsen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10352/298
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherVaal University of Technologyen_US
dc.subjectSweetpotatoen_US
dc.subjectIpomoea batatasen_US
dc.subjectSweetpotato diseasesen_US
dc.subjectAlternaria blighten_US
dc.subjectResitant cultivarsen_US
dc.subject.ddc583.94en_US
dc.subject.lcshSweet potatoes.en_US
dc.subject.lcshFungien_US
dc.subject.lcshDissertations, Academic -- South Africa.en_US
dc.titleAssessing the genetic diversity of Alternaria Bataticola in South Africa using molecular markersen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
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