The anastomosis groups 3 and 4 (AG-3 and AG-4) of the fungus Rhizoctonia solani are important groups associated with potatoes worldwide. In Brazil, the AG-3 is reported affecting mainly potatoes and tobacco. The AG-4 cause considerable losses in crops of economic importance, such as soybean, beans and peanuts and may also occur in vegetables such as spinach, pepper, broccoli, tomatoes, potatoes and fruit such as melons. The association of R. solani with invasive plants was recently established in potato production areas from Brasília, DF. However, there is no information about the etiology of the pathogen as well as the role of invasive species as alternative hosts in the life cycle of the pathogen. The objective of this study was to characterize isolates of R. solani obtained from potatoes and three other invasive plant species associated with areas of potato production: Shoo-fly plant [Nicandra physaloides (L.) Pers., Solanaceae], pigweed (Portulaca oleracea L., Portulacaceae), and low-amaranth (Amaranthus deflexus L., Amaranthaceae). It was confirmed the hypothesis that the R. solani isolates obtained from pigweed, low-amaranth and Shoo-fly plant belong to the anastomosis group 4 and, except for the isolate from pigweed, are pathogenic to potatoes. These isolates were cross pathogencic to all the three weed species tested and also to American nightshade (Solanum americanum Mill.), another Solanaceae invasive of potato fields. The placement of the isolates in the group AG-4 HGI or in the group AG-4 HGIII (isolate from caruru) was confirmed by cultural and molecular characteristics (sequencing of the ITS-5.8S region of rDNA). The results of this study provide important implications for the management of the Rhizoctonia root rot in potatoes.
pigweed; low-amaranth; Shoo-fly plant; American nightshade; cross pathogenicity
