Vegetative compatibility groups in the fungus Cryptosporiopsis actinidiae

Vegetative compatibility has been studied in the kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) storage rot pathogen Cryptosporiopsis actinidiae by assessing the ability of nitrate non-utilising mutants generated from the parental strains to complement on medium containing nitrate as sole nitrogen source. A total of 28 strains were allocated to 18 vegetative compatibility groups. One group contained four members, two contained three members, three contained two members, and the remainder contained single members. These numbers are consistent with the independent assortment of five vegetative compatibility genes during sexual recombination. Although a sexual stage has not yet been identified for this fungus, it is concluded that sexual reproduction plays an important role in its biology.