Molecular genetic identification of the phytopathogenic fungus Cryphonectria parasitica.

Mycological analysis of samples of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) collected in the northern Turkish zone of its habitat was carried out. A total of 300 strains of micromycetes belonging to 13 taxa were isolated in pure cultures. The phytopathogenic fungus Cryphonectria parasitica, the causal agent of chestnut blight, was identified among these strains. A technique for detection of C. parasitica in pure culture and host tissues using species-specific PCR markers was developed and tested. This technique can be used as an express method for detection of chestnut blight.