Integrative characterization and DNA barcoding of Fusarium isolates from diverse agroecosystems

Fusarium comprises diverse filamentous fungi causing economic losses through pathogenicity and mycotoxin production. Identifying Fusarium species
is crucial for understanding ecology, pathogenicity, and agricultural management. This review discusses advances in characterizing Fusarium from
agroecosystems, including sampling, cultural, morphological, biochemical evaluations, pathogenicity research, and molecular analysis. Collections from
infected plants and rhizospheric soils reveal extensive phenotypic and genetic diversity. Traditional assessments are limited by phenotypic variability under
environmental conditions. Biochemical tests enhance differentiation but often lack species-level identification. The ITS sequence is the gold standard for
species identification using molecular techniques. Phylogenetic analyses of ITS and loci (e.g., TEF-1α, RPB2) reveal clusters and evolutionary history.
This review emphasizes the need for a local barcode reference library combining morphological and sequence data for rapid identification in outbreaks.
Pathogenicity evaluation on crops associates genotype with phenotype and informs host–pathogen interaction studies and breeding. Coordinated Fusarium
monitoring and molecular surveillance with data sharing are critical for designing location-specific disease control. This integrated approach serves as a
framework for understanding Fusarium biodiversity and research on plant pathogenic fungi.