Virulence and vegetative compatibility groups among the isolates of Fusarium oxysporum from Cicer arietinum L.

A total 117 isolates of F. oxysporum were collected and purified from rhizosphere and rhizoplane soil of chickpea from different fields to study the Fusarium population associated with chickpea in India. Isolates were first categorized as pathogenic and nonpathogenic isolates on the basis of pathogenicity test. Later on, these isolates were grouped into vegetative compatibility groups by demonstrating heterokaryosis by complementation tests using nitrate non utilizing mutants. Both, pathogenic and nonpathogenic isolates were further grouped into five VCGs each. No self incompatibility was observed in any of the isolates with in both categories.