Spatial Genetic Structure and Population Dynamics of Gummy Stem Blight Fungi Within and Among Watermelon Fields in the Southeastern United States

The epidemiology of gummy stem blight (GSB) of cucurbits, particularly the sources of inoculum for epidemics, and the regional population genetic structure of the causal fungi Stagonosporopsis cucurbitacearum (syn. Didymella bryoniae), S. citrulli, and S. caricae are not well understood. Our goal was to better understand the population structure and fine-scale spatial genetic structure of Stagonosporopsis spp. in the southeastern United States. Overall, 528 isolates collected from nine fields in 2012, 2013, and 2014 were genotyped with 16 microsatellite markers. In 2013, S. caricae was first detected in the southeastern United States; however, S. citrulli remained the dominant species, representing 96.4% of the isolates. Principal coordinates analysis, discriminant analysis of principle components, and analysis of molecular variance indicated that most populations of S. citrulli were genotypically diverse, yet dominated by widely distributed clones that contributed to regional population structure. Spatial genetic structure resulting from aggregation of clonal genotypes at distances of less than 10 meters was detected within two of three fields in which isolate location was recorded. Studies on the epidemiological and fitness differences between S. citrulli and S. caricae and of prevalent and widespread clones will provide insight into the population structure and species dynamics observed in GSB epidemics.