Genetic diversity among Fusarium graminearum strains from Ontario and Quebec

The random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method was used to sample DNA markers from 72 strains of Fusarium graminearum isolated from wheat blighted kernels collected from Quebec (52 strains), Ontario (18 strains), and Prince Edward Island (2 strains). Sixty-five markers generated with eight RAPD primers showed that all strains were genetically distinct. Moreover, the analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that 90.56% of the genetic variability associated with strains used in this study was explained by within-region variation. The GST values were low and showed that there was almost no genetic differentiation associated with sampling F. graminearum either from two different years in Quebec (GST = 0.0375) or from Ontario and Quebec (GST = 0.0509). These results show that F. graminearum strains from Quebec and Ontario might be part of a single population pool.