Analysis of diversity in Alternaria species with retrotransposon based molecular markers

Alternaria species are major plant pathogens. They are ubiquitous in the environment and are a natural part of the fungal flora throughout the world. These are major agents of decay and decomposition. They can grow into thick colonies which are usually black or gray. At least 20% of agricultural spoilage is caused by Alternaria species. The present study was initiated to characterize the Alternaria species infecting some of the important crops of Jammu region using sequence specific amplification polymorphism (SSAP) molecular marker. Four different sites were selected for sampling. The results clearly showed the area wise specification of this fungus.