First Report of Peronospora farinosa f. sp. spinaciae Race 5 Causing Downy Mildew on Spinach in Florida

Downy mildew, caused by Peronospora farinosa f. sp. spinaciae, is an economically important disease in most areas where spinach is grown. This disease has become increasingly important in production fields for prepackaged salad mixes where plant densities typically are very high. In Florida, spinach production for these markets has reached approximately 200 ha. Currently, seven physiological races of the downy mildew pathogen have been described (1). Downy mildew was observed in several commercial spinach fields in the Everglades agricultural area of Palm Beach County, Florida in January 2003 on cvs. Unipak 151 and Merlo Nero. Symptoms appeared as chlorotic and necrotic leaf spots. Disease incidence reached approximately 25% in some field locations. Economic losses were significant, since entire plantings in several fields were not harvested as a result of diminished quality. The race of a field isolate recovered from the cv. Unipak 151 was determined following greenhouse inoculation procedures and using differentials outlined by Irish et al (1). Greenhouse inoculation tests were conducted twice. Disease reactions on a U.S. and international set of differentials indicated that the isolate was race 5. To our knowledge, this is the first report of race 5 occurring outside of the California/Arizona spinach production area in the United States. There are commercial spinach lines with resistance to race 5, as well as the other described races (1). References: (1) B. M. Irish et al. Plant Dis. 87:567, 2003.

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First Report of Impatiens Downy Mildew Outbreaks Caused by Plasmopara obducens Throughout the Hawai'ian Islands

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-10-13-1017-pdn ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 98 (5) ◽

pp. 696-696 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

J. A. Crouch ◽

M. P. Ko ◽

J. M. McKemy

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Downy Mildew ◽

The United States ◽

Molecular Data ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Voucher Specimen ◽

First Report ◽

Plastic Bags ◽

Leaf Surfaces ◽

Impatiens Walleriana

Downy mildew of impatiens (Impatiens walleriana Hook.f.) was first reported from the continental United States in 2004. In 2011 to 2012, severe and widespread outbreaks were documented across the United States mainland, resulting in considerable economic losses. On May 5, 2013, downy mildew disease symptoms were observed from I. walleriana ‘Super Elfin’ at a retail nursery in Mililani, on the Hawai'ian island of Oahu. Throughout May and June 2013, additional sightings of the disease were documented from the islands of Oahu, Kauai, Maui, and Hawai'i from nurseries, home gardens, and botanical park and landscape plantings. Symptoms of infected plants initially showed downward leaf curl, followed by a stippled chlorotic appearance on the adaxial leaf surfaces. Abaxial leaf surfaces were covered with a layer of white mycelia. Affected plants exhibited defoliation, flower drop, and stem rot as the disease progressed. Based on morphological and molecular data, the organism was identified as Plasmopara obducens (J. Schröt.) J. Schröt. Microscopic observation disclosed coenocytic mycelium and hyaline, thin-walled, tree-like (monopodial branches), straight, 94.0 to 300.0 × 3.2 to 10.8 μm sporangiophores. Ovoid, hyaline sporangia measuring 11.0 to 14.6 × 12.2 to 16.2 (average 13.2 × 14.7) μm were borne on sterigma tips of rigid branchlets (8.0 to 15.0 μm) at right angle to the main axis of the sporangiophores (1,3). Molecular identification of the pathogen was conducted by removing hyphae from the surface of three heavily infected leaves using sterile tweezers, then extracting DNA using the QIAGEN Plant DNA kit (QIAGEN, Gaithersburg, MD). The nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer was sequenced from each of the three samples bidirectionally from Illustra EXOStar (GE Healthcare, Piscataway, NJ) purified amplicon generated from primers ITS1-O and LR-0R (4). Resultant sequences (GenBank KF366378 to 80) shared 99 to 100% nucleotide identity with P. obducens accession DQ665666 (4). A voucher specimen (BPI892676) was deposited in the U.S. National Fungus Collections, Beltsville, MD. Pathogenicity tests were performed by spraying 6-week-old impatiens plants (I. walleriana var. Super Elfin) grown singly in 4-inch pots with a suspension of 1 × 104 P. obducens sporangia/ml until runoff using a handheld atomizer. Control plants were sprayed with distilled water. The plants were kept in high humidity by covering with black plastic bags for 48 h at 20°C, and then maintained in the greenhouse (night/day temperature of 20/24°C). The first symptoms (downward curling and chlorotic stippling of leaves) and sporulation of the pathogen on under-leaf surfaces of the inoculated plants appeared at 10 days and 21 days after inoculation, respectively. Control plants remained healthy. Morphological features and measurements matched those of the original inoculum, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of downy mildew on I. walleriana in Hawai'i (2). The disease appears to be widespread throughout the islands and is likely to cause considerable losses in Hawai'ian landscapes and production settings. References: (1) O. Constantinescu. Mycologia 83:473, 1991. (2) D. F. Farr and A. Y. Rossman. Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory, ARS, USDA. Retrieved from http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/ July 16, 2013. (3) P. A. Saccardo. Syllogue Fungorum 7:242, 1888. (4) M. Thines. Fungal Genet Biol 44:199, 2007.

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First Report of Downy Mildew Caused by Plasmopara obducens on Impatiens in California

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis.2004.88.8.909b ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 88 (8) ◽

pp. 909-909 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

S. N. Wegulo ◽

S. T. Koike ◽

M. Vilchez ◽

P. Santos

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Downy Mildew ◽

Disease Incidence ◽

Leaf Tissue ◽

The United States ◽

Plant Diseases ◽

Single Type ◽

First Report ◽

Commercial Grower ◽

Impatiens Walleriana

During February 2004, diseased double impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) plants were received from a commercial grower in southern California. The upper surfaces of symptomatic leaves were pale yellow with no distinct lesions. Diseased leaves later wilted, and severely affected leaves abscised from the stem. At the nursery, only double impatiens plants in the Fiesta series were infected, and some cultivars were more heavily infected than others. Disease incidence in cv. Sparkler Hot pink was nearly 100%. The interior of infected leaves was colonized by coenocytic mycelium. A conspicuous white growth was observed only on the underside of leaves. Sporangiophores were hyaline, thin walled, emergent from stomata, and had slightly swollen bases. Sporangiophore branching was distinctly monopodial. Smaller sporangiophore branches were arranged at right angles to the supporting branches, and tips of branches measured 8 to 14 μm long. Sporangia were ovoid and hyaline with a single pore on the distal ends. Distal ends of sporangia were predominantly flat but occasionally had a slight papilla. Short pedicels were present on the attached ends. Sporangia measured 19.4 to 22.2 (-25.0) μm × 13.9 to 16.7 (-19.4) μm. Oospores were not observed in leaf tissue. On the basis of symptoms and morphology of the organism, the pathogen was identified as Plasmopara obducens J. Schröt. Pathogenicity tests were done on double type cvs. Fiesta, Tioga Red, and Tioga Cherry Red and on single type cvs. Cajun Watermelon and Accent Lilac. Plants were spray inoculated with sporangiospore suspensions (1 × 104 sporangiospores per milliliter), incubated for 24 h in a dew chamber (18 to 20°C), and then maintained in a greenhouse (22 to 24°C). Symptoms and signs of downy mildew developed after 12 days only on inoculated cv. Fiesta plants, and the pathogen morphology matched that of the originally observed pathogen. Nontreated control plants did not develop downy mildew. To our knowledge, this is the first report of downy mildew on impatiens in California. P. obducens is one of two causal agents of downy mildew of impatiens (2,4). The other pathogen, Bremiella sphaerosperma, has dichotomous sporangiophore branching and causes lesions with well-defined margins (2,4). In the United States, the disease has been recorded in the eastern and northeastern states and in Indiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, and Wisconsin (3). In Canada, the disease has been recorded in Manitoba and Quebec (1). References: (1) I. L. Conners. An Annotated Index of Plant Diseases in Canada and Fungi Recorded on Plants in Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. Research Branch, Canada Department of Agriculture, Publication 1251, 1967. (2) O. Constantinescu. Mycologia 83:473, 1991. (3) D. F. Farr et al. Fungi on Plants and Plant Products in the United States. The American Phytopathological Society, 1989. (4) G. W. Wilson. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 34:387, 1907.

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First Report of Race 8 of Downy Mildew, Caused by Peronospora farinosa f. sp. spinaciae, of Spinach in the United States

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-91-9-1205b ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 91 (9) ◽

pp. 1205-1205

Author(s):

A. N. Tomlinson ◽

J. C. Correll ◽

S. T. Koike ◽

K. Kammeijer

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Downy Mildew ◽

Spinacia Oleracea ◽

Disease Incidence ◽

The United States ◽

The European Union ◽

Fresh Market ◽

First Report ◽

Abaxial Leaf Surface ◽

Differential Cultivar

Downy mildew, caused by Peronospora farinosa f. sp. spinaciae, is the most economically important disease of spinach (Spinacia oleracea) in the United States and the European Union. In the United States, 23,000 ha of spinach, with a crop value of approximately $170 million, were grown during 2005 (1; http://www.nass.usda.gov/index.asp ). Additionally, per capita, fresh-market spinach consumption has increased 214% in the past decade (1; http://www.nass.usda.gov/index.asp ). Increased demand for fresh-market spinach has led to changes in spinach production practices such as higher planting densities and year-round production. There are currently 10 described races (races 1 to 10) of P. farinosa f. sp. spinaciae. Race 8 was recovered from the Netherlands in 2004 (B. M. Irish, J. Correll, S. T. Koike, and T. Morelock. Plant Dis. [In press]), but has not been previously identified in the United States. In February 2007, several commercial fresh-market spinach fields in central Arizona were severely affected with downy mildew. Symptoms consisted of bright yellow leaf lesions ranging in size from 1 to 3 cm in diameter that supported dense purple sporulation of the pathogen on the corresponding abaxial leaf surface. Affected fields were primarily planted with spinach cv. Parrot, which is reported to be resistant to races 1 to 7 and 9. As much as 32 ha were affected and disease incidence reached as high as 25 to 30%. An isolate (PAR1) of the pathogen was obtained and used to inoculate a standard set of 10 differential spinach cultivars for race identification as previously described (B. M. Irish, J. Correll, S. T. Koike, and T. Morelock. Plant Dis. [In press]). Briefly, a spore suspension (1 × 105 sporangia per ml) was misted onto test plants; plants were then incubated in a dew chamber (20°C, 100% relative humidity) for 24 h and maintained in a greenhouse. Inoculation tests were conducted at least twice at each of two different locations (Arkansas and California), with each test including two replications of 15 plants per differential cultivar. The selective development of downy mildew on specific differentials indicated that the isolate was race 8 (B. M. Irish, J. Correll, S. T. Koike, and T. Morelock. Plant Dis. [In press]). To our knowledge, this is the first report of race 8 in the United States. Since there are a number of commercial spinach cultivars available with resistance to race 8, the economic impact of this race in the United States is expected to be low if resistant cultivars are grown (B. M. Irish, J. Correll, S. T. Koike, and T. Morelock. Plant Dis. [In press]). Reference: (1) R. N. Acharya and I. Molina. NFAPP Newsl. Second Quarter, 2005.

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First Report of Downy Mildew Caused by Peronospora lamii on Salvia splendens and Salvia coccinea

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis.2000.84.10.1154b ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 84 (10) ◽

pp. 1154-1154 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

G. E. Holcomb

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Downy Mildew ◽

Pathogenic Fungi ◽

The United States ◽

Commonwealth Mycological Institute ◽

First Report ◽

Leaf Spots ◽

Salvia Splendens ◽

Leaf Surfaces ◽

Pathogenicity Tests

Angular chlorotic spots were observed on adaxial leaf surfaces of Salvia splendens (scarlet sage cvs. Empire Purple, Empire White, Red Pillar, and Red Hot Sally) and S. coccinea (scarlet or Texas sage cv. Lady in Red) in early May in Baton Rouge area nurseries. Leaf spots sometimes became necrotic and resulted in leaf drop. Abaxial leaf surfaces contained scattered patches of white mycelia with brown spores. Microscopic examination of mycelia revealed irregular dichotomously branched conidiophores with pointed tips and brown oval conidia. Conidiophores averaged 485 × 9 µm and conidia averaged 21 × 18 µm (16 to 26 × 15 to 23 µm) in dimensions. The fungus was identified as Peronospora lamii A. Braun (= P. swinglei Ellis & Everh.) based on these characters and its known occurrence on Salvia spp. and five other genera in the family Lamiaceae (2). Pathogenicity tests were performed by washing conidia from infected leaves into distilled water and mistinoculating S. coccinea cv. Lady in Red and S. splendens cv. Empire Purple with 50,000 spores/ml. Plants were held in a dew chamber at 20°C for 3 days, then moved to a greenhouse where temperatures ranged from 18 to 32°C. Typical angular chlorotic leaf spots developed on inoculated plants within 6 to 8 days and noninoculated plants remained healthy. The fungus did not sporulate under these greenhouse temperatures, but infected leaves that were removed and placed in a moist chamber at 25°C produced conidiophores and brown conidia typical of P. lamii within 2 to 3 days. P. lamii has been reported previously on S. officinalis (3) and S. reflexa (1) in the United States. This is the first report of downy mildew on S. coccinea and S. splendens. Appearance of the disease in retail nurseries that obtained plants from out of state (Arkansas) suggests a widespread occurrence of the disease on these host plants. References: (1) D. F. Farr et al. 1989. Fungi on Plants and Plant Products in the United States. American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN. (2) S. M. Francis. 1981. Peronospora lamii. Descriptions of Pathogenic Fungi and Bacteria No. 688. Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew, England. (3) R. T. McMillan and W. R. Graves. Plant Dis. 78:317, 1994.

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First Report of Downy Mildew on Nursery-Grown Hellebore Caused by Peronospora pulveracea in California

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-93-3-0319c ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 93 (3) ◽

pp. 319-319 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

C. Y. Warfield ◽

C. L. Blomquist ◽

E. E. Lovig

Keyword(s):

Downy Mildew ◽

The United States ◽

Early Spring ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Late Winter ◽

Internal Transcribed Spacer Region ◽

First Report ◽

Potted Plants ◽

Rdna Sequences ◽

Young Leaves

Hellebore or Lenten rose (Helleborus × hybridus) is an evergreen, herbaceous perennial in the family Ranunculaceae. Hellebores are sold as decorative, potted plants and as shade-loving landscape plants favored for their attractive and prolonged blooms in late winter or early spring. In April of 2008, downy mildew-like growth was observed on the foliage of approximately 60 containerized plants of Helleborus ‘Blue Lady’, ‘Pink Lady’, ‘White Lady’, and ‘Royal Heritage’ grown outdoors in a retail nursery in coastal San Mateo County, California. Infected foliage had angular, vein-delimited, dark brown-to-black speckled lesions on adaxial leaf surfaces turning dry and necrotic with age. Young leaves were small and distorted. Affected flowers were spotted and brown. The abaxial sides of affected leaves had light brown-to-purplish downy mildew-like growth. Subhyaline conidia, globose to ellipsoid in shape, ranged from 25 to 31 × 17 to 24 μm (average 28 × 21 μm). Conidiophores ranged from 265 to 375 × 5 to 11.5 μm (average 333 × 8.9 μm), branching dichotomously four to five times in the upper half. Morphological measurements fell within the range previously described for Peronospora pulveracea and P. alpicola, which were reported on Helleborus spp. and Ranunculus aconitifolius, respectively (1,2). DNA sequence of the internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA of our isolate (Genbank Accession No. FJ384778) matched sequences of P. pulveracea (Genbank Accession No. AY198270) and P. alpicola (Genbank Accession No. AY198271) with 100% identity. These two organisms are taxonomically indistinguishable by rDNA sequences and are likely to be the same species (3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. pulveracea on Helleborus × hybridus in California and the United States. Lenten rose is commercially propagated by seed, which is a potential pathway for introduction of this pathogen. Mature plants are sold and shipped intra- and interstate as decorative flowering plants or nursery stock. The importance and economic impact of this disease is limited, but significant economic losses could occur during production. References: (1) E. A. Gäumann. Beitr. Kryptogamenflora Schweiz 5:113, 1923. (2) G. Hall. Mycopathologia 126:57, 1994. (3) H. Voglmayr. Mycol. Res. 107:1132, 2003.

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First Report of Stigmina palmivora Causing Leaf Spots on Phoenix roebelenii in Brazil

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-10-13-1030-pdn ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 98 (6) ◽

pp. 849-849 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A. Colmán ◽

R. A. da Silva ◽

R. Alves ◽

M. Silva ◽

R. W. Barreto

Keyword(s):

Pure Culture ◽

Leaf Surface ◽

The United States ◽

Culture Collection ◽

Commonwealth Mycological Institute ◽

First Report ◽

Leaf Spots ◽

Nucleotide Homology ◽

Query Coverage ◽

Representative Samples

Phoenix roebelenii (Arecaceae), known as dwarf date (tamareira-anã in Brazil), is a palm native to Southeast Asia and widely cultivated worldwide because of its ornamental value and ease of adaptation to a broad range of climates and soil types (4). In June 2012, some individuals were observed in a private garden in the municipality of Viçosa (state of Minas Gerais, Brazil) bearing numerous necrotic lesions on its leaves. Representative samples were taken, dried in a plant press, and brought to the laboratory for examination. A fungus was regularly associated with the leaf spots. Fungal structures were mounted in lactophenol and slides were examined under a microscope (Olympus BX 51). Spores were taken from sporulating colonies with a sterile fine needle and plated on PDA for isolation. A pure culture was deposited in the culture collection of the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (accession COAD1338). A dried herbarium sample was deposited in the local herbarium (VIC39741). The fungus had the following morphology: conidiophores grouped on sporodochia, cylindrical, 12 to 29 × 5 to 6 μm, dark brown; conidiogenous cells, terminal, proliferating percurrently (annellidic), 8 to 20 × 5 to 6 μm, pale to dark brown; conidia obclavate to subcylindrical, straight, 58 to 147 × 5 to 6 μm, 6 to 16 septate, hila thickened and darkened with a thin-walled projecting papilla, dark brown, and verrucose. The morphology of the Brazilian collections agrees well with the description of Stigmina palmivora (2), a species known to cause leaf spots on P. roebelenii in the United States (Florida) and Japan (3). Pathogenicity was demonstrated through inoculation of leaves of healthy plants by placing 6 mm diameter cuture disks of COAD1338 on the leaf surface followed by incubation in a moist chamber for 48 h and then transferred to a greenhouse bench at 21 ± 3°C. Typical leaf spots were observed 15 days after inoculation. DNA was extracted from the isolate growing in pure culture and ITS and LSU sequences were generated and deposited in GenBank under the accession numbers KF656785 and KF656786, respectively. These were compared by BLASTn with other entries in GenBank, and the closest match for each region were Mycosphaerella colombiensis strain X215 and M. irregulariamosa strain CPC 1362 (EU514231, GU2114441) with 93% of nucleotide homology (over 100% query coverage) for ITS and 98% of nucleotide homology (over 100% query coverage) for LSU. There are no sequences for S. palmivora deposited in public databases for comparison, but for Stigmina platani, the type species in this genus, 86% and 96% nucleotide homology for ITS and LSU with S. palmivora were found. The genus Stigmina is regarded as being polyphyletic (1) and this is probably reflected by these low homology levels found in the BLASTn search. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Stigmina palmivora in Brazil. References: (1) P. W. Crous et al. Stud. Mycol. 75:37, 2012. (2) M. B. Ellis. Dematiaceous Hyphomycetes. Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew, UK, 1971. (3) D. F. Farr and A. Y. Rossman. Fungal Databases. Syst. Mycol. Microbiol. Lab. ARS, USDA. Retrieved from http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/ , 2013. (4) H. Lorenzi et al. Palmeira no Brasil: Exóticas e Nativas, 2nd ed. Editora Plantarum, Nova Odessa, Brazil, 2005.

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First Occurrence of Downy Mildew of Statice, Caused by Peronospora statices, in California and the Rest of the United States

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis.1998.82.5.591a ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 82 (5) ◽

pp. 591-591 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

S. T. Koike ◽

P. A. Nolan ◽

S. A. Tjosvold ◽

K. L. Robb

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Downy Mildew ◽

Fungal Growth ◽

The United States ◽

San Diego County ◽

Leaf Spots ◽

Initial Symptoms ◽

First Occurrence ◽

Humidity Chamber ◽

Favorable Conditions

In California, hybrid statice (Misty series; Limonium bellidifolium × Limonium latifolium) is grown as a commercial cutflower crop in fields and greenhouses. In 1997, downy mildew was observed on statice plantings in both southern (San Diego County) and central (Monterey and Santa Cruz counties) parts of coastal California. Initial symptoms consisted of light green, irregularly shaped leaf spots that, after a few days, became chlorotic. As disease progressed, chlorotic spots coalesced and turned necrotic, at times resulting in extensive death of leaf tissues. Under favorable conditions, the purple to gray sporulation of the pathogen could be seen on abaxial surfaces of leaves. Conidiophores had main trunks with dichotomous branches and measured 194 to 335 μm in length (mean = 229 μm) from the base to the first branches and 7 to 8 μm across at the widest part. Branch ends were slender with curved tips that measured 5 to 8 μm long. Conidia were ovoid to globose with very short pedicels, and measured 14 to 19 μm × 14 to 17 μm. Conidial surfaces appeared slightly roughened when viewed with a scanning electron microscope. Clearing leaf sections with 10% NaOH (1) revealed the presence of yellow-brown, globose oospores that measured 31 to 47 μm. The pathogen was identified as Peronospora statices (1). Pathogenicity was demonstrated by pressing leaves with abundant sporulation against healthy leaves of test plants (Misty White) and then placing inoculated plants in a humidity chamber. After 10 to 12 days, symptoms similar to those originally observed developed on inoculated plants; after 14 to 16 days, purple fungal growth morphologically similar to the original isolates grew on leaves. Uninoculated control plants did not develop symptoms or signs of downy mildew. This is the first report of downy mildew caused by P. statices on statice in California and the rest of the United States. The disease has also been confirmed on Blue Fantasia (L. bellidifolium × L. perezii). This disease has been reported previously in Italy, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom (1). Reference: (1) G. S. Hall et al. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 103:471, 1997.

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First Report of Alternaria Leaf Spot of Banana Caused by Alternaria alternata in the United States

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-01-13-0007-pdn ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 97 (8) ◽

pp. 1116-1116 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

V. Parkunan ◽

S. Li ◽

E. G. Fonsah ◽

P. Ji

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Alternaria Alternata ◽

Leaf Spot ◽

Morphological Characteristics ◽

The United States ◽

Its Sequencing ◽

Single Spore ◽

First Report ◽

Alternaria Leaf Spot ◽

Leaf Spots

Research efforts were initiated in 2003 to identify and introduce banana (Musa spp.) cultivars suitable for production in Georgia (1). Selected cultivars have been evaluated since 2009 in Tifton Banana Garden, Tifton, GA, comprising of cold hardy, short cycle, and ornamental types. In spring and summer of 2012, 7 out of 13 cultivars (African Red, Blue Torres Island, Cacambou, Chinese Cavendish, Novaria, Raja Puri, and Veinte Cohol) showed tiny, oval (0.5 to 1.0 mm long and 0.3 to 0.9 mm wide), light to dark brown spots on the adaxial surface of the leaves. Spots were more concentrated along the midrib than the rest of the leaf and occurred on all except the newly emerged leaves. Leaf spots did not expand much in size, but the numbers approximately doubled during the season. Disease incidences on the seven cultivars ranged from 10 to 63% (10% on Blue Torres Island and 63% on Novaria), with an average of 35% when a total of 52 plants were evaluated. Six cultivars including Belle, Ice Cream, Dwarf Namwah, Kandarian, Praying Hands, and Saba did not show any spots. Tissue from infected leaves of the seven cultivars were surface sterilized with 0.5% NaOCl, plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) media and incubated at 25°C in the dark for 5 days. The plates were then incubated at room temperature (23 ± 2°C) under a 12-hour photoperiod for 3 days. Grayish black colonies developed from all the samples, which were further identified as Alternaria spp. based on the dark, brown, obclavate to obpyriform catenulate conidia with longitudinal and transverse septa tapering to a prominent beak attached in chains on a simple and short conidiophore (2). Conidia were 23 to 73 μm long and 15 to 35 μm wide, with a beak length of 5 to 10 μm, and had 3 to 6 transverse and 0 to 5 longitudinal septa. Single spore cultures of four isolates from four different cultivars were obtained and genomic DNA was extracted and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) regions of rDNA (562 bp) were amplified and sequenced with primers ITS1 and ITS4. MegaBLAST analysis of the four sequences showed that they were 100% identical to two Alternaria alternata isolates (GQ916545 and GQ169766). ITS sequence of a representative isolate VCT1FT1 from cv. Veinte Cohol was submitted to GenBank (JX985742). Pathogenicity assay was conducted using 1-month-old banana plants (cv. Veinte Cohol) grown in pots under greenhouse conditions (25 to 27°C). Three plants were spray inoculated with the isolate VCT1FT1 (100 ml suspension per plant containing 105 spores per ml) and incubated under 100% humidity for 2 days and then kept in the greenhouse. Three plants sprayed with water were used as a control. Leaf spots identical to those observed in the field were developed in a week on the inoculated plants but not on the non-inoculated control. The fungus was reisolated from the inoculated plants and the identity was confirmed by morphological characteristics and ITS sequencing. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Alternaria leaf spot caused by A. alternata on banana in the United States. Occurrence of the disease on some banana cultivars in Georgia provides useful information to potential producers, and the cultivars that were observed to be resistant to the disease may be more suitable for production. References: (1) E. G. Fonsah et al. J. Food Distrib. Res. 37:2, 2006. (2) E. G. Simmons. Alternaria: An identification manual. CBS Fungal Biodiversity Center, Utrecht, Netherlands, 2007.

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First Report of Iris yellow spot virus on Onion and Leek in Western Oregon

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-91-4-0468a ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 91 (4) ◽

pp. 468-468 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

D. H. Gent ◽

R. R. Martin ◽

C. M. Ocamb

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Disease Incidence ◽

The United States ◽

Yellow Spot ◽

Onion Bulb ◽

Spot Virus ◽

First Report ◽

Seed Crop ◽

Onion Seed ◽

Seed Crops

Onion (Allium cepa) and leek (Allium porrum) are grown on approximately 600 ha in western Oregon annually for bulb and seed production. During July and August of 2006, surveys of onion bulb crops and onion and leek seed crops in western Oregon found plants with symptoms of elongated to diamond-shaped, straw-colored lesions characteristic of those caused by Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV) (1–4). Symptomatic plants were collected from fields of an onion bulb crop, an onion seed crop, and two leek seed crops located in Marion County. The onion bulb crop had been planted in the spring of 2006, and the onion and leek seed crops had been planted in the fall of 2005, all direct seeded. Cultivar names were not provided for proprietary purposes. Symptomatic plants in the onion bulb crop and leek seed crop generally were found near the borders of the field. Disease incidence was less than 5% and yield losses in these crops appeared to be negligible. In the onion seed crop, symptomatic plants were found throughout the field and disease incidence was approximately 20%. Approximately 1% of the onion plants in this field had large necrotic lesions that caused the seed stalks (scapes) to lodge. The presence of IYSV was confirmed from symptomatic leaves and scapes by ELISA (Agdia Inc., Elkhart, IN) using antiserum specific to IYSV. RNA was extracted from symptomatic areas of onion leaves and scapes, and a portion of the nucleocapsid gene was amplified by reverse transcription-PCR. The amplicons were sequenced and found to share more than 99% nucleotide and amino acid sequence identity with an onion isolate of IYSV from the Imperial Valley of California (GenBank Accession No. DQ233475). In the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, IYSV has been confirmed in the semi-arid regions of central Oregon (1), central Washington (2), and the Treasure Valley of eastern Oregon and southwest Idaho (3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of the disease on a host crop in the mild, maritime region west of the Cascade Mountain Range and the first report of IYSV on leek seed crops in the United States, which complements a simultaneous report of IYSV on commercial leek in Colorado. The presence of IYSV may have implications for the iris and other ornamental bulb industries in western Oregon and western Washington. This report underscores the need for further research to determine the impact of the disease on allium crops and other hosts and the development of effective management programs for IYSV and the vector, Thrips tabaci. References: (1) F. J. Crowe and H. R. Pappu. Plant Dis. 89:105, 2005. (2) L. J. du Toit et al. Plant Dis. 88:222, 2004. (3) J. M. Hall et al. Plant Dis. 77:952, 1993. (4) H. F. Schwartz et al. Plant Dis. 91:113, 2007.

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First Report of a Leaf Spot Disease of Bells-of-Ireland (Moluccella laevis) Caused by Cercospora apii in California

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis.2003.87.2.203a ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 87 (2) ◽

pp. 203-203

Author(s):

S. T. Koike ◽

S. A. Tjosvold ◽

J. Z. Groenewald ◽

P. W. Crous

Keyword(s):

Leaf Spot ◽

Sequence Data ◽

Disease Incidence ◽

Leaf Spot Disease ◽

Conidial Suspension ◽

Internal Transcribed Spacer Region ◽

First Report ◽

Spot Disease ◽

Leaf Spots ◽

Initial Symptoms

Bells-of-Ireland (Moluccella laevis) (Lamiaceae) is an annual plant that is field planted in coastal California (Santa Cruz County) for commercial cutflower production. In 2001, a new leaf spot disease was found in these commercially grown cutflowers. The disease was most serious in the winter-grown crops in 2001 and 2002, with a few plantings having as much as 100% disease incidence. All other plantings that were surveyed during this time had at least 50% disease. Initial symptoms consisted of gray-green leaf spots. Spots were generally oval in shape, often delimited by the major leaf veins, and later turned tan. Lesions were apparent on both adaxial and abaxial sides of the leaves. A cercosporoid fungus having fasciculate conidiophores, which formed primarily on the abaxial leaf surface, was consistently associated with the spots. Based on morphology and its host, this fungus was initially considered to be Cercospora molucellae Bremer & Petr., which was previously reported on leaves of M. laevis in Turkey (1). However, sequence data obtained from the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1, ITS2) and the 5.8S gene (STE-U 5110, 5111; GenBank Accession Nos. AY156918 and AY156919) indicated there were no base pair differences between the bells-of-Ireland isolates from California, our own reference isolates of C. apii, as well as GenBank sequences deposited as C. apii. Based on these data, the fungus was subsequently identified as C. apii sensu lato. Pathogenicity was confirmed by spraying a conidial suspension (1.0 × 105 conidia/ml) on leaves of potted bells-of-Ireland plants, incubating the plants in a dew chamber for 24 h, and maintaining them in a greenhouse (23 to 25°C). After 2 weeks, all inoculated plants developed leaf spots that were identical to those observed in the field. C. apii was again associated with all leaf spots. Control plants, which were treated with water, did not develop any symptoms. The test was repeated and the results were similar. To our knowledge this is the first report of C. apii as a pathogen of bells-of-Ireland in California. Reference: (1) C. Chupp. A Monograph of the Fungus Genus Cercospora. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, 1954.

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