Potentially dangerous fusarioid microorganisms associated with rot of hops (Humulus lupulus L.) plants in field culture

Several fusarioid microorganisms were isolated as potential pathogens of hop (<i>Humulus lupulus</I> L.) but their virulence was not proved in inoculation trials in field conditions. Molecular search for other possible pathogens was then performed. Using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP), <i>Gibberella pulicaris</I> (anamorph: <i>Fusarium sambucinum</I>) was identified as a probable cause of the hop wilting. The primary cause of the disease is wounding of hop crowns by feeding of rosy rustic moth (<i>Hydraecia micacea</I>) caterpillars or by defect pruning and other unfavourable circumstances. The specific primer HLf1 was designed that can be used to detect the pathogen in soil and in damaged plant tissues.