Fusarium crown rot (FCR) is a significant global issue in wheat production. Planting resistant cultivars is the most effective strategy for mitigating FCR damage. However, breeding for FCR resistance is challenged by the lack of a reliable and high-throughput method for rapid and accurate assessment of numerous genotypes. This study evaluated FCR resistance in 50 wheat genotypes using the common soil-based method. None of the genotypes were immune or highly resistant and only 6.0% (three genotypes) showed moderate resistance at the seedling stage. Resistant and susceptible genotypes were then selected for preliminary experiments. A rapid water-culture method for assessing FCR resistance in wheat seedlings was developed. Seedlings were planted in petri dishes and inoculated by spraying conidial suspensions. This new method, which takes 15 days (about 50% of the time required for soil-based methods), requires minimal space and eliminates variability associated with soil or potting mixes. The disease index correlation between water-culture and soil-based methods was significant (p < 0.01) with a correlation coefficient of 0.901. The resistance evaluation consistency among 50 genotypes using both methods was 94.0%, indicating high reproducibility and strong agreement with soil-based results. Therefore, this new method should be a valuable tool for initial screening of FCR-resistant germplasms from numerous genotypes in breeding programs.

Soilborne fungal pathogens that cause root rot, wilting and dying are the most important problems in pistachio production. The purpose of this study was to examine, isolate, and diagnose the pathogens from diseased pistachio trees in orchards and nurseries located in southeastern Turkey. Fungi isolated from the pistachio trees were identified by morphology and the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and translation elongation factor-1 alpha (TEF-1 alpha). Fusarium solani, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium brachygibbosum, Fusarium chlamydosporum and Macrophomina phaseolina were the most important fungi causing root rot, wilting and decline of pistachio trees. Pathogenicity studies showed that all of the fungi identified can colonize and damage the vascular tissues of a sapling and cause substantial lesions and vascular discolourations. This study provides the first evidence of wilting due to the root and crown rot in pistachio trees in Siirt province of Turkey caused by some Fusarium species, especially F. solani, F. oxysporum, F. chlamydosporum, F. brachygibbosum and M. phaseolina. Finally, the research enabled the identification of some fungal pathogens that are seriously harming pistachio trees in southeastern Turkey.