Talaromyces funiculosus, a novel causal agent of maize ear rot and its sensitivity to fungicides

Plant Disease ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shusen Liu ◽  
Jinhui Wang ◽  
Ning Guo ◽  
Hua Sun ◽  
HongXia Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase Ii ◽  
Ribosome Biogenesis ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Its Region ◽  
Molecular Characteristics ◽  
Ear Rot ◽  
And Control ◽  
Maize Kernels ◽  
Maize Ear Rot ◽  
Maize Ear

Ear rot is one of the most prevalent and destructive diseases on maize. During field surveys in recent years, it was found that a Penicillium ear rot broke out in some areas of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hebei and Tianjin in China, with an incidence of 3%-90%. A Penicillium sp. was isolated from diseased kernels covered with greyish green mold, and three isolates were identified by morphological and molecular characteristics. The pathogenicity of isolate ZBS205 to maize ears was further determined by artificial inoculation in a field. Furthermore, the sensitivity of isolate ZBS205 against six commonly-used fungicides was also evaluated. According to macro- and micro-morphological characteristics, isolate ZBS205 was generally identical to Talaromyces funiculosus (teleomorph of P. funiculosum). The partial gene sequences of the nuclear ribosomal ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS) region, β-Tubulin, putative ribosome biogenesis protein (Tsr1) and the second largest subunit of the RNA polymerase II (RPB2) from isolates ZBS205, D49-1 and S73-1 showed the highest nucleotide identity to T. funiculosus strain X33, and the phylogenetic analysis conducted by neighbor-joining method with the combined data of the four genes demonstrated that these three isolates clustered with T. funiculosus strain X33. These results suggested that the fungus isolated from diseased maize kernels was T. funiculosus. Pathogenicity testing showed that the T. funiculosus isolate ZBS205 was pathogenic to maize ears, which showed symptoms of rotted cob and deteriorated kernels. This is the first report of T. funiculosus as the definitive pathogen causing maize ear rot. The result of fungal sensitivity against fungicides showed that pyraclostrobin exhibited the highest toxicity to mycelial growth and could be used as a candidate agent for the prevention and control of T. funiculosus ear rot. Results of the present study provide a basis for understanding ear rot caused by T. funiculosus, and should play an important role in disease management.

scholarly journals First Report of Fusarium Maize Ear Rot Caused by Fusarium kyushuense in China

Plant Disease ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 98 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-H. Wang ◽  
H.-P. Li ◽  
J.-B. Zhang ◽  
B.-T. Wang ◽  
Y.-C. Liao
Keyword(s):  
Fusarium Species ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Distilled Water ◽  
Ear Rot ◽  
Tubulin Gene ◽  
Average Growth ◽  
First Report ◽  
Maize Ear Rot ◽  
Maize Ear ◽  
Β Tubulin

From September 2009 to October 2012, surveys to determine population structure of Fusarium species on maize were conducted in 22 provinces in China, where the disease incidence ranged from 5 to 20% in individual fields. Maize ears with clear symptoms of Fusarium ear rot (with a white to pink- or salmon-colored mold at the ear tip) were collected from fields. Symptomatic kernels were surface-sterilized (1 min in 0.1% HgCl2, and 30 s in 70% ethanol, followed by three rinses with sterile distilled water), dried, and placed on PDA. After incubation for 3 to 5 days at 28°C in the dark, fungal colonies displaying morphological characteristics of Fusarium spp. (2) were purified by transferring single spores and identified to species level by morphological characteristics (2), and DNA sequence analysis of translation elongation factor-1α (TEF) and β-tubulin genes. A large number of Fusarium species (mainly F. graminearum species complex, F. verticillioides, and F. proliferatum) were identified. These Fusarium species are the main causal agents of maize ear rot (2). Morphological characteristics of six strains from Anhui, Hubei, and Yunnan provinces were found to be identical to those of F. kyushuense (1), which was mixed with other Fusarium species in the natural infection in the field. Colonies grew fast on PDA with reddish-white and floccose mycelia. The average growth rate was 7 to 9 mm per day at 25°C in the dark. Reverse pigmentation was deep red. Microconidia were obovate, ellipsoidal to clavate, and 5.4 to 13.6 (average 8.8) μm in length. Macroconidia were straight or slightly curved, 3- to 5-septate, with a curved and acute apical cell, and 26.0 to 50.3 (average 38.7) μm in length. No chlamydospores were observed. Identity of the fungus was further investigated by sequence comparison of the partial TEF gene (primers EF1/2) and β-tubulin gene (primers T1/22) of one isolate (3). BLASTn analysis of the TEF amplicon (KC964133) and β-tubulin gene (KC964152) obtained with cognate sequences available in GenBank database revealed 99.3 and 99.8% sequence identity, respectively, to F. kyushuense. Pathogenicity tests were conducted twice by injecting 2 ml of a prepared spore suspension (5 × 105 spores/ml) into maize ears (10 per isolate of cv. Zhengdan958) through silk channel 4 days post-silk emergence under field conditions in Wuhan, China. Control plants were inoculated with sterile distilled water. The ears were harvested and evaluated 30 days post-inoculation. Reddish-white mold was observed on inoculated ears and the infected kernels were brown. No symptoms were observed on water controls. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by re-isolating the pathogen from infected kernels. F. kyushuense, first described on wheat in Japan (1), has also been isolated from rice seeds in China (4). It was reported to produce both Type A and Type B trichothecene mycotoxins (1), which cause toxicosis in animals. To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. kyushuense causing maize ear rot in China and this disease could represent a serious risk of yield losses and mycotoxin contamination in maize and other crops. The disease must be considered in existing disease management practices. References: (1) T. Aoki and K. O'Donnell. Mycoscience 39:1, 1998. (2) J. F. Leslie and B. A. Summerell. The Fusarium Laboratory Manual. Blackwell Publishing, Ames, IA, 2006. (3) F. Van Hove et al. Mycologia 103:570, 2011. (4) Z. H. Zhao and G. Z. Lu. Mycotaxon 102:119, 2007.

scholarly journals Mycotoxins and related Fusarium species in preharvest maize ear rot in Poland  

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (No. 8) ◽  
pp. 348-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Gromadzka ◽  
K. Górna ◽  
J. Chełkowski ◽  
A. Waśkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Fusarium Species ◽  
Fusarium Ear Rot ◽  
Ear Rot ◽  
Complex Survey ◽  
Maize Kernel ◽  
Fusarium Mycotoxin ◽  
Maize Kernels ◽  
Maize Ear Rot ◽  
Maize Ear

This work presents a survey on mycotoxins (seasons 2013 and 2014) and Fusarium species (seasons from 1985 to 2014) in maize ear rot in Poland. Twelve mycotoxins were identified in maize kernel samples exhibiting symptoms of Fusarium ear rot or rotten kernels at the harvest in two locations in Poland during the seasons 2013 and 2014. This is the first complex survey on the co-occurrence of four Fusarium mycotoxin groups in maize kernels: the group of the mycohormone zearalenone; the group of trichothecenes – deoxynivalenol and nivalenol; the group of fumonisins; and the group of cyclic hexadepsipeptides – beauvericin and enniatins; and in addition, moniliformin. Four Fusarium species were identified in preharvest maize ear rot in the 2013 and 2014 harvests namely:<br /> F. graminearum, F. poae, F. subglutinans and F. verticillioides. Since 1985, eleven Fusarium species have been identified in 13 investigation seasons. Apart from those mentioned above, F. avenaceum, F. cerealis, F. culmorum and<br /> F. sporotrichioides were observed with irregular frequencies, and three species, i.e. F. proliferatum, F. tricinctum and F. equiseti, were identified sporadically. A significant increase of F. verticillioides frequency and a decrease of F. subglutinans frequency and changes of mycotoxin profile have been observed in the two decades since 1995.  

scholarly journals First Report of Fusarium Ear Rot of Maize Caused by Fusarium andiyazi in China

Plant Disease ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 98 (10) ◽  
pp. 1428-1428 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Zhang ◽  
W. Luo ◽  
Y. Pan ◽  
J. Xu ◽  
J. S. Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fusarium Species ◽  
Elongation Factor ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
White Mold ◽  
Fusarium Ear Rot ◽  
Ear Rot ◽  
Translation Elongation ◽  
Maize Cultivars ◽  
Maize Kernels ◽  
Maize Ear Rot

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important food crop worldwide. Some Fusarium species cause maize ear rot leading to significant yield losses and, for some Fusarium species, potential risk of mycotoxin contamination. In 2013, a survey was conducted to determine the population composition of Fusarium species on maize in Dongyang, Zhejiang Province, China, where about 5% of maize ears in each field were found with reddish-white mold. Symptomatic maize ears were collected from several cultivars including forage corn Zhedan724 and Zhengdan958, sweet corn Chaotian4 and Chaotian135, and waxy corn Heinuo181 and Zhenuoyu6; no association between the disease and maize cultivars was observed. Maize kernels showing a pink or white mold were surface-disinfested with 70% ethanol and 10% sodium hypochlorite, followed by three rinses with sterile distilled water and placed onto potato dextrose agar (PDA). After 3 days of incubation at 25°C in the dark, mycelia were transferred to fresh PDA and purified by the single-spore isolation method (4). Species were identified based on morphological characteristics (2), and sequence analysis of the translation elongation factor-1α (TEF) gene. The results indicated that Fusarium verticillioides Sacc. (84.6%) is the main causal agent of maize ear rot in this region. However, morphological characteristics of two strains (7.7%) from the same field were found to be identical to F. andiyazi Marasas, Rheeder, Lampr., K.A. Zeller & J.F. Leslie. Colonies on PDA showed floccose to powdery mycelium and pale-purple pigmentation. Hyaline and straight or slightly curved macroconidia were observed with 3- to 6-septate and a slightly curved apical cell. Chlamydospores were absent. In order to validate this result, partial translation elongation factor (TEF-1α, 646 bp) gene sequences of isolates were generated (GenBank Accession No. KJ137019) (1). BLASTn analysis of TEF-1α with the GenBank database revealed 99.7% sequence identity to F. andiyazi (JN408195 and JN408196), and much lower (94 to 98%) identity with other Fusarium spp. Thus, both morphological and molecular criteria supported identification of the strains as F. andiyazi. A pathogenicity test was performed on maize cv. Zhengdan958 in a greenhouse. Four days post-silk emergence, a 2-ml conidial suspension (105 macroconidia/ml) of each isolate was injected into each of 10 maize ears through the silk channel. An equal amount of sterile distilled water was injected into 10 ears as a control. Typical Fusarium ear rot symptoms (reddish-white mold), which were observed in the ears inoculated with these strains 20 days after inoculation, were similar to the original symptoms in the sampling sites, and no symptoms were observed on the water control ears. The same fungus was re-isolated from the infected kernels using the method described above. F. andiyazi are the major pathogens of sorghum (2) and also proved to attack maize kernels recently (3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. andiyazi causing Fusarium ear rot on maize in China. Further investigation is needed to gain a better understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics of this new pathogen. Also, the new species must be considered in the development of maize cultivars with broad-based resistance to the pathogens. References: (1) D. M. Geiser et al. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 110:473, 2004. (2) J. F. Leslie and B. A. Summerell. The Fusarium Laboratory Manual. Blackwell Publishing, Ames, IA, 2006. (3) A. Madania et al. J. Phytopathol. 161:452, 2013. (4) H. Zhang et al. PLoS ONE 7:e31722, 2012.

scholarly journals Fumonisins and related Fusarium species in pre-harvest maize ear rot in Poland

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Gromadzka ◽  
M. Wit ◽  
K. Górna ◽  
J. Chełkowski ◽  
A. Waśkiewicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fusarium Species ◽  
Ear Rot ◽  
Maize Ear Rot ◽  
Maize Ear

scholarly journals First report of the cactus cyst nematode, Cactodera cacti, infecting Cereus jamacaru (Cactaceae) in Brazil

Plant Disease ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Bruno da Silva Café ◽  
Rhannaldy Benício Rebouças ◽  
Juvenil H. Cares ◽  
Cristiano Souza Lima ◽  
Francisco de Assis Câmara Rabelo Filho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Length ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Its Region ◽  
The Body ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Molecular Characteristics ◽  
Width Ratio ◽  
Morphometric Characteristics ◽  
First Report ◽  
Second Stage

During a survey in 2018 for plant nematodes associated with roots and soil in cactus cultivation areas in Ceará State (3°44'48"S, 38°34'29"W), cysts were found on roots of mandacaru, Cereus jamacaru DC. This cactus is native to Brazil, can grow to 6-10 meters in height, and is widely distributed in the Northeast region (Romeiro-Brito et al. 2016) where it is used in construction, in disease remedies, as forage, and as an ornamental (Sales et al. 2014). Several cysts, second-stage juveniles (J2) and eggs extracted from the soil and roots, using sucrose centrifugation, were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy (LM) to determine morphological and morphometric characteristics. Molecular characteristics were determined by DNA extraction from J2 and embryonated eggs using a protocol specific for Heteroderidae (Subbotin et al., 2018). The internal transcribed spacer sequence (ITS) region of the rDNA and D2-D3 regions of the 28S rDNA were amplified using the universal primers TW81 (5′-GTTTCCGTAGGTGAACCTGC-3′) and AB28 (5′-ATATGCTTAAGTTCAGCGGGT-3′), D2A(5′-ACAAGTACCGTGAGGGAAAGTTG-3′) and D3B(5′-TCGGAAGGAACCAGCTACTA-3′), respectively. To confirm that mandacaru is a host for C. cacti, six plantlets of mandacaru were inoculated with 1,800 eggs of the nematode, and kept in a greenhouse at 31 ± 3 ºC and irrigated daily. Six non inoculated mandacaru plantlets served as control treatment. Morphometric characteristics of cysts (n=35) were body length, excluding neck, 555.8 ± 87.8 (354,9 - 727,6) μm, body width 392.1 ± 63.4 (297.9 - 553.7) μm, neck length 63.5 ± 25.8 (49.8-105.0) μm, length to width ratio 1.4 ± 0.2 (1.0-1.8) μm and vulval cone length 48.4 ± 15.2 (40.7 –53.6) μm. Cysts had a rough surface, were lemon-shaped to rounded and had a zigzag cuticular pattern with a protruding vulval cone. They were circumfenestrate without underbridge and bullae, but with the presence of vulval denticles. Measurements of second-stage juveniles (n = 13) included the body length 511.2 ± 33.7 (452.7 - 551.5) μm, stylet length 28.0 ± 2.8 (25.4 - 34.0) μm, tail length 50.7 ± 5.1 (40.6 - 57.4) μm, tail hyaline region 22.7 ± 2.2 (18.9 – 27.1), with a = 20.9 ± 2.2 (17.7-24.3) μm, b = 5.4 ± 0.4 (5.1-5.8) μm, b'= 3.4 ± 0.4 (3.1-3.9) μm, c = 10.2 ± 1.3 (8.9-13.3) μm and c' = 3.8 ± 0.4 (3.0-4.5) μm. The observations of essential morphological characteristics for identification indicated that the species found on C. jamacaru was Cactodera cacti (Filipjev & Schuurmans-Stekhoven, 1941) Krall & Krall, 1978. The sequences of the studied rDNA regions were submitted to GenBank (ITS: MW562829 and D2–D3 regions of 28S: MW562830). The samples used for molecular analysis showed a high degree of sequence identity (99.59%) with C. cacti, from China, Iran and USA for the ITS region. The identity of the D2-D3 regions of 28S sequence was 99.54% with C. cacti isolates from Germany and 99.41% with isolates from USA. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using Maximum likelihood (ML) method for both individual loci, confirming the species as Cactodera cacti. All inoculated mandacaru plantlets showed C. cacti cysts on the roots after 60 days, confirming that mandacaru is a host for C. cacti. This species was reported in São Paulo State, in 2001, associated with ornamental cactus cultivated in pots, but plant species were not identified (Santos et al., 2001). The second report in Brazil was to Schlumbergera sp., an ornamental plant (Oliveira et al. 2007). In both studies, the nematode was not morphologically nor molecularly characterized. Cactodera cacti has been commonly associated with cactus worldwide (Esser, 1992). It has been reported in association with C. jamacaru was first reported in 2011 in China (Duan et al. 2012). This is the first report of the occurrence of C. cacti on C. jamacaru in field conditions in Brazil, and its presence in cactus cultivation areas with agricultural importance represents a threat to cactus production in the country.

scholarly journals Morphology and Molecular Characteristics of Alternaria sonchi Causing Brown Leaf Spot on Sonchus asper in Korea

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 107-114
Author(s):  
Huan Luo ◽  
Myung Soo Park ◽  
Jun Myoung Yu
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase Ii ◽  
Leaf Spot ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Leaf Spot Disease ◽  
Molecular Characteristics ◽  
Internal Transcribed Spacer Region ◽  
Sonchus Asper ◽  
Brown Leaf Spot ◽  
Brown Leaf

During a disease survey on weeds and minor cultivated crops in Korea, a brown leaf spot disease was observed on Sonchus asper. Leaf lesions were round or irregular in shape, and grayish brown to brown with a purple margin. In severe infection, lesions enlarged and coalesced, resulting in blighting of the leaves. The isolates from these leaf lesions were identified as Alternaira sonchi based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of Internal transcribed spacer region, Alternaria allergen a1, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, RNA polymerase II, and translation elongation factor genes. This study provides a comprehensive description of the morphological characteristics and phylogenetical traits of A. sonchi causing brown leaf spot on S. asper in Korea.

scholarly journals First Report of Sea buckthorn Stem Wilt Caused by Fusarium sporotrichioides in Gansu, China

Plant Disease ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Xia ◽  
Yue Liang ◽  
Jianzhong Hu ◽  
Xiaoling Yan ◽  
Liqiang Yin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elongation Factor ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Gansu Province ◽  
Sea Buckthorn ◽  
Molecular Characteristics ◽  
Ear Rot ◽  
Fusarium Sporotrichioides ◽  
Tree Roots ◽  
Internal Transcribed Spacer Region ◽  
First Report

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is an important deciduous shrub for fruit and ecological restoration in arid and semi-arid regions of China. Twelve Chinese and Russian cultivars (cv. Shenqiuhong, eshi01, ... eshi11) were planted about 1.6 acre area in a seedling nursery, located in Qingyang City of Gansu province in northwest China, where high mortality (more than 70%) of sea buckthorn was observed in late July 2019. Symptoms consisted of massive chlorosis, drooping leaves and dried-up stems on 5-year-old trees. Pieces of tree roots and stems with irregular light-brown discoloration in the xylem vessels were selected. Small pieces of discolored tissue were surface disinfested (1 min in 1% sodium hypochlorite, followed by three rinses with sterile distilled water), air-dried, and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium for 5 days at 25°C in the dark. A fungus was consistently isolated from both diseased roots and stems tissues. Colonies on PDA grew rapidly. Dense mycelia were pinky-white initially, and became carmine red color with age on the undersurface of the plate. Macroconidia were moderately curved, 3 to 5 marked septa, hyaline, thick walled, and measuring 27.8± 3.6 µm × 4.8 ± 0.5 µm (n = 30). Microconidia were abundant, pear-shaped, ellipsoid to fusoid, often with a papilla at the base, and 8.4 ± 2.2 µm ×3.1 ± 0.3 µm (n = 30). Genomic DNA was extracted for amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1 and ITS4 primers) (White et al. 1990) of the ribosomal DNA (Accession Nos. MN160235 to MN160238) and translation elongation factor-1 alpha (EF1 and EF2 primers, accession Nos. MN429075 to MN429078) (O’Donnell et al. 1998). The sequences revealed 99% similarity to the sequences of the ITS (AY188917), and 100% identity with EF1-α (JF740808) regions of Fusarium sporotrichioides. Based on morphological and molecular characteristics, the fungus was identified as F. sporotrichioides (Leslie and Summerell 2006). Koch’s postulates were fulfilled on healthy, potted 1-year-old sea buckthorn seedings using two isolates in a greenhouse at 25 °C, 90% relative humidity, and 12-hour light/dark photoperiod. Ten potted seedings were inoculated on the stems by placing a 5-mm-diameter mycelial plug (5-day-old PDA cultures for each isolate) into the surface of a wound created with a needle, and the inoculation sites were covered with Parafilm to maintain moisture. Ten seedings were inoculated with PDA plugs as controls. Seven to ten days after inoculation, typical symptoms of dark-brown necrotic lesions on chlorotic leaf margins were observed. About 2 weeks after inoculation, the inoculated stems were gradually dry up, accompanied by withering and fallen leaves. Control plants remained asymptomatic. Pathogens were successfully isolated from the inoculated stems again, exhibiting morphological characteristics identical to those of F. sporotrichioides. Previous papers reported F. sporotrichioides as a common pathogen caused lavender wilt (Cosic et al. 2012), foliar spots on forage corn (Moya-Elizondo et al. 2013) and maize ear rot (Wang et al. 2019). To our knowledge, this is the first report of sea buckthorn stem wilt caused by F. sporotrichioides on several Chinese and Russian cultivars in Gansu province of China. In Heilongjiang province, the same disease was reported in 2010 (Song et al. 2010), nearly 30 longitudes away from Gansu province. Therefore, this disease appears to be a serious risk for future sea buckthorn production.

scholarly journals First Report of Stem and Leaf Anthracnose on Blueberry Caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides in China

Plant Disease ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 97 (6) ◽  
pp. 845-845 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. N. Xu ◽  
Z. S. Zhou ◽  
Y. X. Wu ◽  
F. M. Chi ◽  
Z. R. Ji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colletotrichum Gloeosporioides ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Its Region ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Molecular Characteristics ◽  
First Report ◽  
Potted Plants ◽  
Leaf Spots ◽  
Pathogenicity Tests ◽  
Highbush Blueberries

Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) is becoming increasingly popular in China as a nutritional berry crop. With the expansion of blueberry production, many diseases have become widespread in different regions of China. In August of 2012, stem and leaf spots symptomatic of anthracnose were sporadically observed on highbush blueberries in a field located in Liaoning, China, where approximately 15% of plants were diseased. Symptoms first appeared as yellow to reddish, irregularly-shaped lesions on leaves and stems. The lesions then expanded, becoming dark brown in the center and surrounded by a reddish halo. Leaf and stem tissues (5 × 5 mm) were cut from the lesion margins and surface-disinfected in 70% ethanol for 30 s, followed by three rinses with sterile water before placing on potato dextrose agar (PDA). Plates were incubated at 28°C. Colonies were initially white, becoming grayish-white to gray with yellow spore masses. Conidia were one-celled, hyaline, and cylindrical with rounded ends, measuring 15.0 to 25.0 × 4.0 to 7.5 μm. No teleomorph was observed. The fungus was tentatively identified as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (PenZ.) PenZ & Sacc. (teleomorph Glomerella cingulata (Stoneman) Spauld. & H. Schrenk) based on morphological characteristics of the colony and conidia (1). Genomic DNA was extracted from isolate XCG1 and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA (ITS1–5.8S-ITS2) was amplified with primer pairs ITS1 and ITS4. BLAST searches showed 99% identity with C. gloeosporioides isolates in GenBank (Accession No. AF272779). The sequence of isolate XCG1 (C. gloeosporioides) was deposited into GenBank (JX878503). Pathogenicity tests were conducted on 2-year-old potted blueberries, cv. Berkeley. Stems and leaves of 10 potted blueberry plants were wounded with a sterilized needle and sprayed with a suspension of 105 conidia per ml of sterilized water. Five healthy potted plants were inoculated with sterilized water as control. Dark brown lesions surrounded by reddish halos developed on all inoculated leaves and stems after 7 days, and the pathogen was reisolated from lesions of 50% of inoculated plants as described above. The colony and conidial morphology were identical to the original isolate XCG1. No symptoms developed on the control plants. The causal agent of anthracnose on blueberry was identified as C. gloeosporioides on the basis of morphological and molecular characteristics, and its pathogenicity was confirmed with Koch's postulates. Worldwide, it has been reported that blueberry anthracnose might be caused by C. acutatum and C. gloeosporioides (2). However, we did not isolate C. acutatum during this study. To our knowledge, this is the first report of stem and leaf anthracnose of blueberry caused by C. gloeosporioides in China. References: (1) J. M. E. Mourde. No 315. CMI Descriptions of Pathogenic Fungi and Bacteria. Kew, Surrey, UK, 1971. (2) N. Verma, et al. Plant Pathol. 55:442, 2006.

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