Genetic Diversity of Verticillium dahliae Isolates From Mint Detected with Genotyping by Sequencing

Verticillium wilt is the most important disease threatening the commercial production of mint grown for essential oil. An important long-term goal for mint breeders is the production of cultivars with resistance to Verticillium wilt. Before that can be accomplished, a better understanding of the genetic variation within and among populations of Verticillium dahliae is needed. We characterized the extent of phenotypic and genetic diversity present in contemporary and archival populations of V. dahliae from mint fields in Oregon and other production regions of the United States using genotyping by sequencing, PCR assays for mating type and pathogenic race, vegetative compatibility group (VCG) tests, and aggressiveness assays. We report that the population in the Pacific Northwest can be described as one common genetic group and four relatively rare genetic groups. Eighty-three percent of the isolates belonged to VCG2B, and all isolates possessed the MAT1-2 idiomorph and were characterized as pathogenic race 2. These results indicate low levels of genetic diversity and a negligible risk of sexual recombination in populations of this host-adapted pathogen population. Knowledge of the genetic structure of V. dahliae in the Pacific Northwest will inform breeders about the diversity of pathogenicity factors that may need to be considered in their breeding programs.