Identification and Morphological Characteristics
Samples of rice plants with bakanae symptoms were collected and isolated on
pentachloronitrobenzene agar (PPA). Thirty-four single-spore isolates grown on
PDA (potato dextrose agar) and CLA (carnation leaf agar) plates were used for identification
based on morphological characteristics. PDA was used to measure growth
rate and pigmentation of culture, while CLA was used to determine shape and size of
macroconidia and microconidia, conidiogenous cells and chlamydospore formation.
Morphological characteristics on CLA were determined after 7–10 days of incubation
under standard growth condition. The identification of Fusarium spp. was done basing
on the taxonomic guidelines by Nirenberg and O’Donnell (1998) and Leslie and
Summerell (2006).