MOLECULAR PROFILING OF FUSARIUM SPECIES IN RICE SEEDS: BURKINA FASO PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) stands as a pivotal global food crop, significantly contributing to the sustenance and income of farming communities worldwide, with particular prominence in Africa. Burkina Faso, encompassing all of its 13 administrative regions, showcases notable rice cultivation, notably in regions like Hauts Bassins (16.97% of national production), East (15.02%), Centre-Est (14.82%), Boucle du Mouhoun (14.44%), and Cascades (10.91%) (DGSS, 2020). As Leslie and Summerell (2006) emphasize, Fusarium species afflict over 80% of the world's crop plants, including rice. Fungal diseases attributed to the Gibberella fujikuroi species complex, encompassing F. verticillioides, F. sacchari, F. subglutinans, F. proliferatum, F. andiyazi, and F. fujikuroi, stand among the most prevalent diseases affecting global agricultural crops (Hsuan et al., 2011). Destructive diseases on cereals are incited by various Fusarium species, including F. graminearum, F. Poae, F. avenaceaum, as reported by Goswami and Kistler (2004) and Xu et al. (2005). Rice contends with an array of fungal diseases, among them gigantism (Bakanae), a widespread and occasionally emergent ailment in several rice-producing nations (Bashyal et al., 2016; Raghu et al., 2018).