RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Asparagus decline syndrome (ADS), one of the most important diseases affecting asparagus crops, causes important yield losses worldwide. Fusarium proliferatum, F. oxysporum and F. redolens are among the main species associated with ADS. To explore their potential inoculum sources and the effectiveness of soil disinfestation practices for ADS management, molecular methods based on a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were developed. qPCR-based molecular tools demonstrated advantages in the sensitive and specific detection and quantification of fungal pathogens in comparison with less-accurate and time-consuming traditional culture methods. RESULTS: F. proliferatum, F. oxysporum and F. redolens could be specifically detected and accurately quantified in asparagus plants, soil and irrigation water collected from asparagus fields with ADS symptoms by means of the designed TaqMan qPCR protocols. Furthermore, these molecular tools were successfully applied for evaluation of the efficacy of diverse soil disinfestation treatments. Chemical fumigation with dazomet and biosolarization with pellets of Brassica carinata contributed to a significant reduction in the inoculum densities of the three Fusarium species in treated soils, which was correlated with production increases. CONCLUSIONS: The capability to accurately detect and quantify the main Fusarium species involved in ADS in plants, soil and water samples by means of qPCR will allow identification of high-risk fields that can be avoided or managed to reduce yield losses. Quantification of pathogen densities in the soil may also provide essential insights into the effectiveness of soil disinfestation methods for ADS management. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.