Variability of Indian Isolates of Tilletia indica Assessed by Pathogenicity and Molecular Markers

Twenty isolates of Tilletia indica collected from sites in North and North‐western India showed pathogenic variation on 18 host differentials. Sixteen aggressive pathotypes were identified on the basis of percent coefficient of infection (PCI). Two major clusters were apparent in the dendrogram; cluster 1 comprised 13 isolates and cluster two consisted of seven isolates. One of the isolate Kashipur had a high PCI on most of the host differentials compared to other isolates. Polymerase chain reaction‐based random amplified polymorphic DNA (PCR – RAPD) analysis also divided isolates into two major clusters, one comprising of 5 isolates collected from hill and foot‐hill sites and another group comprising of 15 isolates collected from plain sites. Thus, the clusters identified based on PCI did not match closely with those identified by molecular analysis based on RAPD. Although diversity among the isolates of T. indica was absent in the rDNA‐ITS region, our study based on pathogenicity and molecular markers confirms the existence of great diversity in the pathogen, also shifting of ‘hot spot’ areas from one place to another within Karnal bunt prevailing areas.