Mycoviral Diversity of Fusarium oxysporum in Three Major Watermelon Production Areas in China

Watermelon is one of the most important fruits in China, accounting for more than 70% of the world's total output. Fusarium wilt of watermelon is the most common and serious disease in the cultivation of watermelon. It is mainly caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (FON), which has caused serious damage to the watermelon planting industry. Some mycovirus can reduce the pathogenicity of host pathogens and have the potential of biocontrol, so their application potential in the biological control of plant fungal diseases has attracted much attention. In this study, high-throughput sequencing was performed on more than 150 Fusarium oxysporum isolated from three major watermelon production regions (South China, North China, and Northwest China) to detect the diversity of mycovirus and to uncover new mycovirus. The analysis identified 292 contigs representing the partial or complete genomes of 30 mycoviruses, with 23 described for the first time. The diversity of The diversity of the mycovirus is being analyzed. RT-PCR is being used to verify the presence of the new virus This study analyzed the diversity of Fusarium oxysporum mycovirus in three watermelon producing areas in China and unearthed new fungal viruses, which provide potential biocontrol resources for the biological control of Fusarium wilt of watermelon, and is of great significance for the production and quality safety of watermelon in China.