scholarly journals First Report of Powdery Mildew on Heath Aster Caused by Erysiphe cichoracearum in Argentina

Plant Disease ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 84 (9) ◽  
pp. 1044-1044
Author(s):  
S. Wolcan ◽  
L. Ronco

In 1995, powdery mildew was observed on commercial greenhousegrown Aster ericoides L. from La Plata, Buenos Aires Province. The disease affected about 95% of the growers. Mildew first appeared as white circular patches on the adaxial surface of leaves. As disease progressed, the abaxial surface of leaves, petioles, stems, and calyces were covered by cottony masses of mycelium and conidia, and basal leaves later wilted and died. Young plants (4 to 5 leaves) through flowering plants were affected. Conidia were ovoid-cylindrical, often slightly constricted at the ends, and were produced in chains on unbranched conidiophores. Conidia lacked fibrosin bodies and ranged from 30 to 41 μm × 10 to 19 μm. Long unbranched germ tubes were formed from the ends of conidia. The morphological characteristics of the fungus fit those described for Erysiphe cichoracearum DC (1). In addition, the perfect stage was found on older tissues. Subglobose, dark brown cleistothecia (105 to 210 μm in diameter) with a basal ring of myceloid appendages were observed. Cleistothecia contained multiple ellipsoid asci (48 to 69 μm × 30 to 37 μm) with two hyaline, one-celled, ellipsoid ascospores (22 to 26 μm × 11 to 15 μm). Pathogenicity was tested by pressing diseased leaves onto healthy leaves of aster cv. Sunset and incubating plants in humidity chambers for 48 h. The powdery mildew that developed was morphologically identical to the original isolate. This is the first report of E. cichoracearum on heath aster in Argentina. Reference: (1) H. J. Boesewinkel. Bot. Rev. 46:167, 1980.

Plant Disease ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-198
Author(s):  
C. Nali

A powdery mildew disease of variegated ivy (Hedera canariensis L. var. azorica) was observed on the Tyrrhenian coast in Tuscany (Italy) in spring 1998. Symptoms began as small, nearly circular reddish spots that later enlarged and coalesced. The hyaline mycelium produced abundant, ellipsoid conidia in long chains that ranged from 20 to 40 μm in length and from 12 to 25 μm in width. Cleistothecia were globose (100 to 120 μm diameter), dark brown (when mature) with a basal ring of mycelioid appendages, and contained several (up to 20) ovate asci, each generally containing two ascospores. Ascospores were hyaline, one-celled, ellipsoid (20 to 35 μm in length and 10 to 20 μm in width). The morphological characteristics of this fungus were those given for Erysiphe cichoracearum DC. Infection also was found on English ivy (Hedera helix L.). It is reported that this species is, occasionally, subject to powdery mildew caused by E. cichoracearum (1). Conidia from infected leaves were shaken onto leaves of melon (Cucumis melo L.), cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus [Thunb.] Matsum. & Nakai), lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and variegated and English ivy. After 7 days, the disease was observed on cucumber, melon, watermelon, tobacco, and variegated ivy. Examination confirmed that test plants were infected with E. cichoracearum. This is the first report of E. cichoracearum on variegated ivy in Italy. Reference: (1) P. P. Pirone. 1970. Diseases and Pests of Ornamental Plants. The Ronald Press, New York.


Plant Disease ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 87 (9) ◽  
pp. 1151-1151 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. F. Cerkauskas ◽  
A. Buonassisi

In 2003, powdery mildew of greenhouse pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) was reported simultaneously in two commercial greenhouses at two separate locations near Langley in southern British Columbia. Trace amounts of mildew on the foliage of cv. Zamboni in one operation, and 10 to 80% of the foliage of cv. Triple Four was affected in an organic operation, with losses in fruit yield of 2 to 4 kg/m2, were noted. The greenhouse pepper industry in British Columbia in 2001 comprised 76 ha with sales of $41.3 million (Canadian). Affected areas appeared as a white, powdery coating on the abaxial leaf surface of older foliage while diffuse chlorotic spots were present at corresponding locations on the adaxial surface. In some cases, pale yellow spots appeared on the adaxial portion of the affected foliage during later stages of disease development (2). Hyaline, single-celled pyriform and cylindrical conidia were present in 40:60 proportion, respectively. Both conidia had a network of crests and granules sometimes with tiny thorn-like projections on the surface. These projections were evident also on the lower half of conidiophores. Pyriform conidia ranged in length from 53.8 to 79.5 μm (mean = 68.0, SE = 0.8), and in width from 12.9 to 28.0 μm (mean = 20.1, SE = 0.6, n = 50) with a mean length to width ratio of 3.5. Cylindrical conidia had a length from 48.2 to 84.0 μm (mean = 66.0, SE = 0.9), and in width from 13.4 to 25.2 μm (mean = 18.6, SE = 0.4, n = 50) with a mean length to width ratio of 3.6. Short conidial chains borne on conidiophores consisted of a basal pyriform conidium followed by cylindrical conidium. No cleistothecia were observed. Stomatal penetration and extensive endophytic mycelial growth in the mesophyll layer were evident in foliar tissue cleared with glacial acetic acid/EtOH (1:2) and stained with lactophenol cotton blue. To confirm pathogenicity, a suspension of 2 × 104 conidia/ml from infected pepper leaves was applied onto the abaxial and adaxial leaf surfaces of 60-, 42-, and 28-day-old greenhouse pepper cv. Cubico, tomato cv. Trust, and cucumber cv. Corona, respectively. Plants were maintained in a growth chamber at 25/21°C day/night temperature and 80% relative humidity. Control plants in the same chamber were treated identically but not inoculated. After 21 days, inoculated pepper plants developed foliar powdery mildew symptoms on the abaxial surface, including sporulation similar to that of naturally infected plants. Occurrence of the fungus on the abaxial surface of pepper foliage, presence of endophytic mycelium, and the morphological characteristics of the imperfect state confirm the identity of the fungus (2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of Leveillula taurica (Lév.) G. Arnaud on pepper in British Columbia. The disease was first reported in Ontario, Canada in 1999 (1). References: (1) R. Cerkauskas et al. Plant Dis. 83:781,1999. (2) J. Palti. Bot. Rev. 54:423, 1988.


Plant Disease ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 98 (9) ◽  
pp. 1277-1277 ◽  
Author(s):  
X.-Y. Men ◽  
S.-Y. Liu ◽  
W.-T. Jiang ◽  
Y. Li

Torenia fournieri (Linderniaceae) is a common ornamental plant in China. It is also an important Chinese medicinal herb for its heart clearing and toxin removal properties. In October 2013, severe powdery mildew infections were observed on T. fournieri in Baihuayuan Garden (125.35°E, 43.88°N), China. Voucher specimens were deposited in the Herbarium of Mycology of Jilin Agricultural University under the accession number HMJAU02176. Whitish colonies covered the surface of leaves, petioles, sepals, and stems. The infected leaves became yellow and necrotic by advanced stages of the infection. Chasmothecia with a diameter between 63.5 and 95 μm were present singly or in groups, and bore dark brown mycelioid. The appendages were 0.5 to 4 times as long as the chasmothecial diameter, brown at the base and paler toward the apex. Asci were 2 to 6 per chasmothecium, short-stalked or sessile, 50 to 62 × 30 to 50.5 μm, and 2- to 4-spored. Ascospores were pale brown, oval to ellipsoid, 27 to 43 × 13 to 17 μm. Hyphae were flexuous to straight, branched, and septate. Appressoria were well-developed, lobed, and solitary or in opposite pairs. Conidiophores were unbranched, cylindrical, and 94 to 185 × 9 to 15 μm. Foot-cells were straight, cylindrical, 19 to 40 μm long, and followed by 1 to 3 cells shorter or nearly equal to the foot-cell. Conidia were singly produced, cylindrical or oval, 34 to 44 × 16 to 20 μm, and without distinct fibrosin bodies. Lobed germ tubes were produced at the tip of conidia. The morphological characteristics of sexual and asexual structures were consistent with Erysiphe macleayae (1,2). To confirm the identification, the complete internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA of the pathogen was amplified with the primers ITS1/ITS4 and sequenced (3). The resulting 574-bp sequence (KJ600796) showed 100% similarity with E. macleayae (KF856294) and Oidium sp. isolated from Chelidonium majus (HQ286645 to 46) and one base different from M. microcarpa (JQ681217). Koch's postulate was completed by gently pressing a diseased leaf onto three young excised leaves of asymptomatic seedlings. Three non-inoculated leaves were used as controls. Inoculated leaves were incubated in separate petri dishes in a greenhouse at 20 to 25°C. Symptoms developed 5 days after inoculation, whereas the control leaves remained symptomless (voucher specimens HMJAU02176I). The morphology of the fungus on the inoculated leaves was identical to that observed on the originally diseased leaves. Powdery mildew on T. fournieri has only been reported as Golovinomyces sp. in Hungary (4). To our knowledge, this is the first report of powdery mildew caused by E. macleayae on T. fournieri worldwide. Infection of Torenia by E. macleayae, a common powdery mildew on various hosts of the Papaveraceae, is very unusual and unexpected. It demonstrates a wider host range of this species beyond the limits of the Papaveraceae. References: (1) U. Braun and R. T. A. Cook. Taxonomic manual of the Erysiphales (Powdery Mildews), CBS Biodiversity Series 11. CBS, Utrecht, the Netherlands, 2012. (2) M. J. Park et al. Plant Dis. 96:1376, 2012. (3) S. Takamatsu et al. Mycol. Res. 113:117, 2009. (4) P. Vági et al. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 117:89, 2007.


Plant Disease ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 488-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. S. Bains ◽  
H. Bennypaul ◽  
M. Mirza

In Alberta, powdery mildew disease of greenhouse-grown tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) appeared for the first time in 1995 as circular white colonies on leaves, petioles, and stems. Since then it has been found every year and is becoming an economically important disease of tomatoes. This is the first report of the disease from Alberta, Canada. In Canada, powdery mildew on greenhouse tomatoes was previously reported in 1994 from the province of Quebec (1). The pathogen had unbranched conidiophores with average length and width of 62.3 μm and 8.5 μm, respectively. Conidia were clear or hyaline, elliptical to oval in shape, and were borne singly or in short chains. Average length and width of conidia were 36.0 μm and 17.6 μm, respectively. The conidia contained numerous vacuoles but fibrosin bodies were not observed. Germ tubes were straight and formed at the ends or very close to the ends of conidia. Rarely, a conidium produced two germ tubes. Cleistothecia were not found. Six-week-old, greenhouse-grown, healthy tomato cv. Trust plants were inoculated by shaking conidia from powdery mildew-infected plants onto the leaves of the healthy plants. The plants developed powdery mildew symptoms within 9 days after the inoculation. The symptoms on inoculated plants and morphological characteristics of the pathogen were similar to those for naturally infected plants. Based on the characteristics of the asexual stage, the pathogen was identified as an Erysiphe sp. until its identity is confirmed by the characteristics of its sexual stage. An Erysiphe sp. has also been reported to cause powdery mildew of greenhouse-grown tomatoes in Canada (1), the U.S. (3), and Spain (2). Optimal temperature and relative humidity for germination of conidia of the pathogen were 20 to 25°C and >90%, respectively. Myclobutanil, fenarimol, sulfur, triademefon, and triforine showed promise for effective management of this disease. Myclobutanil and sulfur are now registered for control of this disease in Canada. Since cleistothecium has not been found, there is a need to identify the sources of primary inoculum to understand the disease cycle and effective management of the disease. References: (1) R. R. Bélanger and W. R. Jarvis. Plant Dis. 78:640, 1994. (2) L. Olalla and J. A. Torés. Plant Dis. 82:592, 1998. (3) J. F. White, Jr., et al. Plant Dis. 81:227, 1997.


2016 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. P. Scioscia ◽  
P. M. Beldomenico ◽  
G. M. Denegri

SummaryThe present study reports the first case of infection by Pterygodermatites affinis in Lycalopex gymnocercus, and the first report of this nematode in Argentina. Examining 80 foxes from Buenos Aires province, specimens of this species were recovered from 21.25 % of the small intestines and eggs were found in 7.5 % of the fecal samples.


Plant Disease ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 84 (12) ◽  
pp. 1345-1345 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Rivera ◽  
E. R. Wright ◽  
S. Carballo

Chinese rose (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.) is a shrub frequently planted in Argentina. In November 1999, dieback and anthracnose symptoms were detected on stems and leaves of plants cv. Hawaii cultivated in Buenos Aires. Disease prevalence was 50%. Pieces of infected tissues were surface-sterilized for 1 min in 2% NaOCl, plated on potato-dextrose agar and incubated at 24 ± 2°C. The isolate that was consistently recovered from diseased tissues was identified as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. and Sacc., based on morphological characteristics (1,2). Teleomorph stage was not observed. Inoculation for pathogenicity testing was carried out by spraying a conidial suspension (6.5 × 106 conidia per ml) on plants with previously punctured leaves and pruned stems. Inoculated plants with unwounded tissues, as well as noninoculated controls, were included. Five replications of each treatment were done. Plants were incubated in moist chambers at 24°C. Whitish areas of 0.3 to 0.5 cm diameter surrounded by a purple halo developed on all punctured leaves within 10 days. Stem blight and leaf drop were observed. The center of the lesions was covered by black acervuli 14 days after inoculation. Unwounded and noninoculated controls remained symptomless. The pathogen was reisolated from inoculated leaves, completing Koch's postulates. This is the first report of C. gloeosporioides causing disease on Chinese rose in Argentina. References: (1) J. A. Bailey and M. J. Jeger, eds. 1992. Colletotrichum. CAB International, Surrey, England. (2) B. C. Sutton. 1980. The Coelomycetes. CMI, Kew.


Plant Disease ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 98 (9) ◽  
pp. 1278-1278 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. E. Cho ◽  
J. H. Park ◽  
S. H. Hong ◽  
I. Y. Choi ◽  
H. D. Shin

Agastache rugosa (Fisch. & C.A. Mey.) Kuntze, known as Korean mint, is an aromatic plant in the Lamiaceae. It is widely distributed in East Asian countries and is used as a Chinese traditional medicine. In Korea, fresh leaves are commonly added to fish soups and stews (3). In November 2008, several dozen Korean mints plants growing outdoors in Gimhae City, Korea, were found to be severely infected with a powdery mildew. The same symptoms had been observed in Korean mint plots in Busan and Miryang cities from 2008 to 2013. Symptoms first appeared as thin white colonies, which subsequently developed into abundant hyphal growth on stems and both sides of the leaves. Severe disease pressure caused withering and senescence of the leaves. Voucher specimens (n = 5) were deposited in the Korea University Herbarium (KUS). Appressoria on the mycelium were nipple-shaped or nearly absent. Conidiophores were 105 to 188 × 10 to 13 μm and produced 2 to 4 immature conidia in chains with a sinuate outline, followed by 2 to 3 cells. Foot-cells of the conidiophores were straight, cylindrical, slightly constricted at the base, and 37 to 58 μm long. Conidia were hyaline, ellipsoid to barrel-shaped, measured 25 to 40 × 15 to 23 μm (length/width ratio = 1.4 to 2.1), lacked distinct fibrosin bodies, and showed reticulate wrinkling of the outer walls. Primary conidia were obconically rounded at the apex and subtruncate at the base. Germ tubes were produced at the perihilar position of conidia. No chasmothecia were observed. The structures described above were typical of the Oidium subgenus Reticuloidium anamorph of the genus Golovinomyces. The measurements and morphological characteristics were compatible with those of G. biocellatus (Ehrenb.) V.P. Heluta (1). To confirm the identification, molecular analysis of the sequence of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of isolate KUS-F27200 was conducted. The complete ITS rDNA sequence was amplified using primers ITS5 and P3 (4). The resulting 514-bp sequence was deposited in GenBank (Accession No. KJ585415). A GenBank BLAST search of the Korean isolate sequence showed >99% similarity with the ITS sequence of many G. biocellatus isolates on plants in the Lamiaceae (e.g., Accession Nos. AB307669, AB769437, and JQ340358). Pathogenicity was confirmed by gently pressing diseased leaf onto leaves of five healthy, potted Korean mint plants. Five non-inoculated plants served as a control treatment. Inoculated plants developed symptoms after 7 days, whereas the control plants remained symptomless. The fungus present on inoculated plants was identical morphologically to that observed on the original diseased plants. The pathogenicity test was repeated with identical results. A powdery mildew on A. rugosa caused by G. biocellatus was reported from Romania (2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of powdery mildew caused by G. biocellatus on A. rugosa in Korea. The plant is mostly grown using organic farming methods with limited chemical control options. Therefore, alternative control measures should be considered. References: (1) U. Braun and R. T. A. Cook. Taxonomic Manual of the Erysiphales (Powdery Mildews), CBS Biodiversity Series No. 11. CBS, Utrecht, 2012. (2) D. F. Farr and A. Y. Rossman. Fungal Databases. Syst. Mycol. Microbiol. Lab., online publication, USDA ARS, retrieved 17 February 2014. (3) T. H. Kim et al. J. Sci. Food Agric. 81:569, 2001. (4) S. Takamatsu et al. Mycol. Res. 113:117, 2009.


Plant Disease ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 95 (9) ◽  
pp. 1188-1188 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-G. Tsay ◽  
R.-S. Chen ◽  
H.-L. Wang ◽  
W.-L. Wang ◽  
B.-C. Weng

Powdery mildew can be found in most papaya (Carica papaya L.) fields during the winter and spring seasons in Taiwan. It usually causes severe yellowing of the leaf lamina and petiole and serious defoliation. Three types of powdery mildew fungi were isolated from papaya leaves in Chiayi City (23.28°N, 120.28°E) at the beginning of 2008. Conidia of the first one were single, globose, hyaline, and 24 to 36 × 14 to 18 μm (average 30.2 × 15.6 μm) without fibrosin bodies and with straight or occasionally flexuous conidiophores at the base. The second one had short pseudo-chains of two to four conidia which were ellipsoidal to ovoid, hyaline, and 24 to 40 × 12 to 16 μm (average 29.7 × 13.4 μm) without fibrosin bodies. The third type had chains of ellipsoidal conidia that were hyaline, 24 to 28 × 12 to 16 μm (average 26.3 × 14.4 μm) and contained fibrosin bodies. To confirm the identity of the three fungi, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA was amplified using the primer pairs G1 (5′-TCC GTA GGT GAA CCT GCG GAA GGA T-3′)/Ed2 (5′-CGC GTA GAG CCC ACG TCG GA-3′), G1 (5′-TCC GTA GGT GAA CCT GCG GAA GGA T-3′)/On2 (5′-TGT GAT CCA TGT GAC TGG AA-3′), and S1 (5′-GGA TCA TTA CTG AGC GCG AGG CCC CG-3′)/S2 (5′-CGC CGC CCT GGC GCG AGA TAC A-3′). The alignment of obtained sequences (GenBank Accession Nos. GU358452, 507 bp; GU358451, 580 bp; and GU358450, 455 bp) showed a sequence identity of 100, 99, and 99% with the ITS sequences of Erysiphe diffusa, Oidium neolycopersici, and Podosphaera xanthii (GenBank Accession Nos. FJ378880, EU909694, and GQ927254), respectively. On the basis of morphological characteristics and ITS sequence similarities, these fungi were identified as E. diffusa (Cooke & Peck) U. Braun & S. Takam., O. neolycopersici L. Kiss, and P. xanthii (Castagne) U. Braun & S. Takam., respectively (1,3). Single colonies on papaya leaves infected with powdery mildew were identified in the laboratory and maintained on papaya leaves as inoculum. Pathogenicity was confirmed through inoculations by gently pressing a single colony of each fungus onto leaves of healthy papaya seedlings (cv. Horng-Fe). Five seedlings were inoculated for each fungus and then covered with plastic bags for 2 days. Five noninoculated seedlings served as control. After inoculation, treated plants were maintained separately from the control in different rooms of a greenhouse at 25°C under natural daylight conditions. Seven days after inoculation, typical symptoms of powdery mildew were observed on inoculated plants, but not on noninoculated plants. The same species from diseased lesions following artificial inoculation with each fungus were identified with light microscopy. Papaya was previously described as a host to O. caricae Noack in many tropical and subtropical areas of the world including Taiwan (2). However E. cruciferarum, Golovinomyces cichoracearum, Oidiopsis sicula, O. caricae, O. caricae-papayae, O. caricicola, O. indicum, O. papayae, Ovulariopsis papayae, P. caricae-papayae, P. macularis, P. xanthii, and Streptopodium caricae were reported to infect papaya (4). To our knowledge, this is the first report of papaya powdery mildew caused by E. diffusa and O. neolycopersici in the world and the first report of the three fungi found on papaya in Taiwan. References: (1) U. Braun and S. Takamatsu. Schlechtendalia 4:1, 2000. (2) H. S. Chien and H. L. Wang. J. Agric. Res. China 33:320, 1984. (3) L. Kiss et al. Mycol. Res. 105:684, 2001. (4) J. R. Liberato et al. Mycol. Res. 108:1185, 2004.


2003 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra B. Durman ◽  
Ana B. Menéndez ◽  
Alicia M. Godeas

One-hundred and forty isolates of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) DeBary were obtained in a 6500-km2 area of the Buenos Aires Province. These isolates were collected from soybean (60 isolates), lettuce (59 isolates) and sunflower (21 isolates) fields. Fifty different mycelial compatibility groups (MCGs) were distinguished overall, 27 of which consisted of two or more isolates. Populations of S. sclerotiorum were made up by numerous MCGs and shared a similar frequency profile regardless the locality or the date of sampling. MCG occurrences differed among the crops, only two MCGs were shared by the three crops and approximately 60% of the MCGs were unique for each crop. The Shannon diversity index (Ho) of MCG for the whole region was 0.314 (Htot). Partition of total diversity (Htot) showed that 98.4% corresponded to variations of diversity within populations. Morphological characteristics were not significantly different among MCGs, except for the dry weight per sclerotium. On the basis of the detached celery petiole assay, there were no differences in aggressiveness between MCGs either. However, isolates collected from sunflower plants were more aggressive than those collected from soybean, regardless the MCG they belonged. Aggressiveness was positively correlated to colony radial growth. After principal component analyses (PCA) were performed, it could be identified a main central group of isolates and two other smaller groups. Main contributors to the total variance were the percentages of large sclerotia, the dry weight per sclerotium and the percentages of medium and small sclerotia.


Plant Disease ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 82 (6) ◽  
pp. 711-711 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. T. Koike ◽  
R. F. Smith

Tomatillo or husk tomato (Physalis ixocarpa Brot.) is an annual Solanaceous bush grown for its fruit, which are harvested when the fruit fill the enlarged calyx and are used primarily in Hispanic cooking. In the summer of 1997, commercial field-grown tomatillo in the Salinas Valley (Monterey County) was severely affected by a powdery mildew disease. Fungal growth was found on leaves, petioles, and calyces and resulted in twisting, desiccation, and premature senescence of the tissues. The mycelium was white to gray, ectophytic, amphigenous, and effuse. Mycelial appressoria were indistinct. Conidiophore foot cells were straight, cylindric, measured 36.1 to 61.1 µm (mean 47.0) × 11.1 to 13.9 µm (mean 11.7), and were followed by 1 to 3 shorter cells. Doliform conidia were formed in chains and measured 25.0 to 50.0 µm (mean 32.5) × 11.1 to 22.2 µm (mean 17.7). The length-to-width ratios of conidia generally were less than 2.0, and fibrosin bodies were present. Germ tubes usually were laterally inserted, lacked conspicuous appressoria, and were of the pannosa-type. Cleistothecia were not observed. Based on these characters, the fungus was identified as Sphaerotheca fusca (Fr.) Blumer, Beitr. Krypt.-Fl. Schweiz (1). Pathogenicity was confirmed by gently pressing infected leaves onto leaves of potted tomatillo. Inoculated plants were kept in a chamber at 100% humidity for 48 h, and then maintained in a greenhouse. Powdery mildew developed on inoculated plants after 12 to 14 days, while uninoculated plants did not develop disease. The experiment was conducted a second time and the results were the same. This is the first report of a powdery mildew disease of tomatillo in California. Reference: (1) U. Braun. Nova Hedwigia 89:1, 1987.


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