Cultural Variability among Ceratocystis fimbriata Ell. and Halst. Isolates Causing Wilt Disease of Punica granatum L.

Punica granatum L (Pomegranate) is one of the important fruit crops cultivated all over the world, particularly in the tropical and sub-tropics. It is affected by several diseases of which one of the most important disease is wilt caused by Ceratocystis fimbriata. In recent years, several orchards of farmers have been severely infected by wilt and were removed in Karnataka state. This may be due to changes in the pathogenic characteristics of the fungus. Very little work has been carried out on the cultural variability of C. fimbriata associated with Punica granatum L (Pomegranate) wilt in Karnataka. Moreover, cultural variability is the property of an organism to change its character from one generation to the other. Therefore, there is a need to study on cultural variability of C. fimbriata. Cultural variability showed variation among the C. fimbriata isolates. On the basis of colony color, type of colony growth, type of margin, margin color, and colony growth, fifty isolates were categorized.