bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Coryneum Twig Canker on Southern Live Oak in Florida
Authors: Wood A. K. , Tainter F. H. 
Published: May 2007

In May 2001, following several years of severe drought, a depressed twig canker was observed on southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) in central Florida. Disease symptoms included twig and branch canker and dieback, distortion of young leaves, and premature leaf drop. Observation of conidia from sporulating acervuli revealed that Coryneum japonicum was associated with the cankers (1,2). The fungus produced abundant, subepidermal, dark brown, linearly arranged acervuli on affected tissues. Conidia were light brown, narrowly fusiform, often curved, and tapered toward an obtuse apex. The conidia had truncate bases and were five to seven distoseptate. Septa were medium to dark brown and sometimes prominent. The length to width ratio of conidia was >4:1. Under normal weather conditions, twig elongation of live oak trees is usually 30 to 60 cm per growing season; however, only 7 to 10 cm was observed on trees affected by C. japonicum. The fungus has been reported on bark and dead twigs of Quercus macrocarpa, Q. gambelii, Q. dilatata, and other species of Quercus in Canada, Pakistan, and the United States (2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. japonicum in Florida and on southern live oak trees. A specimen has been deposited in the U.S. National Fungus Collections (BPI number 841441). References: (1) B. C. Sutton. Mycol. Pap. 138:33, 1975. (2) B. C. Sutton. The Coelomycetes, CMI, Kew, England, 1980.
First Confirmation of Phytophthora quercina on Oaks in Asia
Authors: Balci Y. , Halmschlager E. 
Published: May 2007

During surveys of forests in the Asian Region of Turkey in 1999, 2000, and 2001, mature trees of several oak species were observed to have symptoms of decline, including thinning of the crown, yellowing and wilting of leaves, dieback of branches, and growth of epicormic shoots on branches and the main trunk. Observations over time confirmed a slow progress of tree mortality. To isolate Phytophthora spp. that might be associated with the decline, samples of rhizosphere soil including fine roots with necrotic lesions, were collected from around the bases of individual trees. Young leaflets from Quercus robur, Q. petraea, and Q. hartwissiana were used in a bioassay to bait flooded soil subsamples. After 3 to 5 days, baits were transferred to plates of PARPNH, a medium selective for Phytophthora spp. (1). Phytophthora spp. were recovered from 38 of 51 sites investigated (75%). In all, 10 species of Phytophthora were isolated; P. quercina was detected most frequently and was obtained from 29 (57%) sampled sites. Identification of isolates of P. quercina was based on comparisons of cultural and morphological characteristics to the description of the holotype (2) and to authentic cultures. Slight differences from the description of the holotype were observed for the size of sporangia, oogonia, and chlamydospores. On V8 agar most of the colonies showed an optimal radial growth at 22.5°C, with a growth rate ranging from 4.5 to 5.6 mm per day. Isolates from Turkey showed a lower optimal temperature and a higher growth rate compared with European strains. Recent studies have shown that many Phytophthora species, including P. quercina, occur in declining oak stands in Europe. In pathogenicity tests of infested soil, P. quercina isolates proved to be one of the more pathogenic species to roots of young Q. robur plants (2). Previously, P. quercina was only found in Europe. New hosts species for P. quercina include Q. hartwissiana, Q. frainetto, and the endemic species Q. vulcanica. Observations suggest that P. quercina is widespread in Turkey and occurs within the natural range of oak, which raises the question of the role of P. quercina in the oak decline syndrome. References: (1) T. Jung et al. Eur. J. For. Pathol. 26:253, 1996. (2) T. Jung et al. Mycol. Res. 103:785, 1999.
First Report of Violet Root Rot Caused by Rhizoctonia crocorum on Alfalfa in Iran
Authors: Naseri B. 
Published: May 2007

In August 2000, violet root rot of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) was observed in circular to irregular patches of alfalfa. Affected alfalfa plants turned yellow to brown in fields in the Zanjan Province of Iran. Diseased roots had a compact felt cloak of violet mycelium with white or purple strands. Samples of symptomatic roots were collected from 11 locations in the province and cultured on potato dextrose agar and malt-extract agar. The morphology of fungi isolated from pieces of alfalfa root with infection cushions from each location was consistent with Rhizoctonia crocorum (Pers.:Fr.) DC. (teleomorph Helicobasidium brebissonii (Desm.) Donk) (1). Seeds of alfalfa cv. Hamadani were sown in soil infested with inoculum of one isolate of R. crocorum prepared on a sandrye grain-water medium (20 g per pot) (2). Under 10 h of light at 22°C, destroyed taproots were evident after 8 months on 64 of 100 inoculated plants, and R. crocorum was reisolated from all 64 plants. Fifty noninoculated plants showed no symptoms. This is the first report of violet root rot of alfalfa in Iran. References: (1) P. Roberts. Pages 157–158 in: Rhizoctonia-Forming Fungi. The Trustees, Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, UK, 1999. (2) P. G. Valder. Tran. Br. Mycol. Soc. 41:283, 1958.
First Confirmation of Sphaerotheca macularis on Strawberry Plants in Southwestern Spain
Authors: Santos B. de los , Blanco C. , Porras M. , Barrau C. , Romero F. 
Published: May 2007

In February 2001, in seven small tunnel production fields in southwestern Spain, symptoms and signs of powdery mildew were detected on strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) cvs. Camarosa, Andana, and Carisma. On ‘Camarosa’ plants, white patches of mycelium developed on the lower leaf surface. Later, the leaf edges rolled upward, and reddish or necrotic irregular spots appeared on the lower leaf surface. Some immature fruits were abnormally hard and covered with a dense white mycelium. Symptoms were much less severe on ‘Andana’ and ‘Carisma’. Microscopic observations revealed conidia in chains, ellipsoidal to barrel-shaped, with fibrosin granules. Mean dimensions of conidia (N= 70) were 31.2 μm ± 2.8 × 20.39 μm ± 4.1. Cleistothecia were not detected. Based on these characteristics, the causal agent was identified as Sphaerotheca macularis (Wallr.:Fr.) Lind. (1). Pathogenicity was confirmed by inoculating leaves of 2-month-old potted ‘Camarosa’ plants. S. macularis obtained from field-grown plants was maintained on ‘Camarosa’ strawberry leaves in a growth chamber (20°C and 100% relative humidity). Inoculum was obtained from freshly sporulating infected leaves 11 days after inoculation. Conidia of S. macularis were gently brushed into 100-ml distilled water containing two drops of Tween 20. Ten strawberry ‘Camarosa’ plants were inoculated by misting with a conidial suspension (104 conidia per ml) (2). The plants were incubated at 100% relative humidity for 48 h in the greenhouse (15 to 25°C). Colonies of powdery mildew were observed on leaves after 18 days. To our knowledge, this is the first confirmation of S. macularis on strawberry in Spain. References: (1) K. G. Mukerji. No. 188 in: Descriptions of Pathogenic Fungi and Bacteria. CMI, Kew, UK, 1968. (2) R. Reuveni et al. Crop Prot. 19:335, 2000.
First Report of Cucumber mosaic virus in Helleborus foetidus in France and Italy
Authors: Cardin L. , Onesto J. P. , Moury B. 
Published: May 2007

Helleborus foetidus L. (bear's foot) is a perennial plant from the family Ranunculaceae that is common in chalky soils of southern and western Europe. It is grown in gardens for its palm-shaped leaves and early flowers. In 1995, yellow-to-white oak leaf and line patterns in leaves of H. foetidus plants were observed in Hunawihr (Alsace, France). The same symptoms were observed in plants in Entrevaux, Biot, and Gourdon (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France) in 2000 and 2001, in Triora (Liguria, Italy) in 2002, and on cv. Western Flisk in a nursery in Nice (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France) in 2002. Samples collected from these six locations contained six isolates that were further characterized. Sap extracted from symptomatic plants was mechanically inoculated onto Nicotiana tabacum cvs. Xanthi-nc and Samsun, Chenopodium quinoa, C. amaranticolor, Vigna unguiculata cv. Black, and Cucumis sativus cv. Poinsett. Symptoms exhibited by the inoculated plants indicated infection by Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Sap extracted from symptomatic plants reacted positively in double-antibody sandwich-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (DAS-ELISA) to antibodies raised against CMV (2). Isometric particles (approximately 30 nm) were observed with an electron microscope in crude sap preparations from infected plants. Following purification of the suspect virus from infected N. tabacum (2) and treatment with formaldehyde (1), each isolate was shown to belong to group II of CMV strains (1,3) by double-immunodiffusion analysis. Following isolation from local lesions on V. unguiculata, the Hunawihr isolate was grown in cv. Xanthi-nc plants and back-inoculated to 2-year-old uninfected seedlings of H. foetidus by aphids (Myzus persicae) or mechanical transmission. Mechanical transmissions were also performed with sap extracted from cv. Xanthi-nc plants infected with the D strain, which belongs to group I of CMV strains (3). Three months postinoculation, symptoms previously described in the original plants were observed in 3 of 10 mechanically inoculated plants and in 2 of 14 aphid-inoculated plants (Hunawihr isolate), whereas no symptoms could be seen in any of the six plants inoculated with the D strain. On the basis of DAS-ELISA, 7 of 10 plants mechanically inoculated and 7 of 14 plants aphid inoculated with the Hunawihr isolate were infected with CMV, whereas 3 of the 6 plants inoculated with the D strain were infected with CMV. To our knowledge, this is the first report that H. foetidus is a natural host for CMV. Beyond the direct impact of the disease induced by CMV on H. foetidus, this perennial and widespread plant species can be an important reservoir of CMV. References: (1) J. C. Devergne and L. Cardin. Ann. Phytopathol. 7:225, 1975. (2) J. C. Devergne et al. Ann. Phytopathol. 10:233, 1978. (3) M. J. Roossinck. J. Virol. 76:3382, 2002.
First Report of Leaf Spot and Blight Caused by Botrytis cinerea on Pygmy Date Palm in Italy
Authors: Polizzi G. , Vitale A. 
Published: May 2007

Pygmy date palm (Phoenix roebelenii O'Brien), native to Laos and southeast Asia, is one of the most commonly cultivated date palms both indoors and out. In early April 2003, a new and widespread leaf disease was detected on 2- to 3-feet high, potted, pygmy date palms growing in open fields or shade-houses in four commercial nurseries of the eastern Sicily Region of southern Italy. Initial symptoms on infected plants were small, chlorotic spots on blades and edges of leaflets. As spots enlarged, yellow or reddish-brown margins and brown or gray, wrinkled, sunken centers developed. Sometimes, spots or lesions coalesced to cause blight of young expanding leaves or death of apical buds. Botrytis cinerea Pers.:Fr was recovered consistently from sections of infected tissues (disinfected for 1 min in 1% NaOCl and rinsed in sterile water) plated on malt extract agar. On potato dextrose agar (PDA), colonies of B. cinerea were first hyaline, then turned white, and later turned dark gray when spores differentiated. Six- to eight-day-old-cultures developed white sclerotia that turned black after three more days. Conidia in 1-month-old-cultures were hyaline or gray, ovoid, and ranged from 5.2 to 8.8 × 8 to 14 μm (average 6.6 × 9.9 μm). Black microsclerotia were round or irregular in shape and ranged from 0.6 to 2.8 × 0.3 to 2.5 mm (average 1.66 × 0.98 mm) (1). Koch's postulates were performed by spraying potted, 9-month-old pygmy date palms (2 feet high) with a spore suspension (1 × 106 CFU per ml from 15-day-old cultures grown on PDA). Six plants were wounded and inoculated, while six plants were inoculated without wounding. An equal number of noninoculated plants sprayed with sterile water served as controls. All plants were maintained in a humid environment at 20°C. Sunken-leaf and rachis lesions were observed on all wounded and most nonwounded plants within 10 to 14 days after inoculation. Symptoms did not develop on the control plants. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by reisolation of the fungus from affected tissues. A field survey revealed the occasional presence of similar leaf spots on canary island date palms (Phoenix canariensis Hort. ex Chabaud), from which B. cinerea was consistently recovered. The unusually cool and humid weather conditions recorded in Sicily during this disease outbreak were very conducive for occurrence of the B. cinerea infections. Although the disease only occasionally caused death of plants, evidence indicated that B. cinerea reduced commercial value of infected pygmy date palms. B. cinerea was previously recorded in northern Italy on canary island date palm (2) and was recently detected in southern Italy on majesty palm (3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf spot and rachis blight caused by B. cinerea on pygmy date palm. References: (1) M. B. Ellis. Dematiaceous Hyphomycetes. CAB, Kew, Surrey, England, 1971. (2) A. Garibaldi and S. Rapetti. No. 9 Suppl. Flortecnica, 1987. (3) G. Polizzi. Plant Dis. 86:815, 2002.
First Report of Petiole Rot of Pulmonaria longifolia Caused by Sclerotium rolfsii var. delphinii
Authors: Edmunds B. A. , Gleason M. L. 
Published: May 2007

Sclerotium rolfsii var. delphinii was isolated from the bases of discolored petioles on wilted, yellow leaves of Pulmonaria longifolia (cultivar unknown), an herbaceous perennial growing in a landscape planting in Ames, IA. White mycelia and brick red, 2- to 3-mm-diameter sclerotia were found on affected tissue and nearby soil. The isolates were identified as S. rolfsii var. delphinii based on the formation of dark red, irregularly shaped, >2.0-mm-diameter sclerotia on potato dextrose agar (PDA) around the edge of the culture (1,2). Pathogenicity tests were conducted by inoculating 5-month-old P. longifolia cv. E. B. Anderson growing in 20-cm-diameter pots in a greenhouse at 25 to 30°C. Inoculum was produced by transferring plugs from a 1-week-old culture of the S. rolfsii var. delphinii isolate on PDA to autoclaved carrot disks. After 2 days of incubation, a mycelium-infested carrot disk was placed on the soil surface at the base of each plant. Six plants were inoculated and six plants served as uninoculated controls. All plants were enclosed in plastic bags to maintain high humidity. The pathogenicity test was repeated once. All inoculated plants developed characteristic symptoms within 10 days, whereas all control plants remained symptomless. Sclerotia developed on infected tissue and the media surface, and S. rolfsii var. delphinii was reisolated on PDA from symptomatic petioles. To our knowledge, this is the first report of petiole rot of P. longifolia caused by S. rolfsii var. delphinii. References: (1) Z. K. Punja. Annu. Rev. Phytopathol. 23:97, 1985. (2) Z. K. Punja and A. Damiani. Mycologia 88(5):694, 1996.
First Report of Southern bean mosaic virus Infecting French Bean in Morocco
Authors: Segundo E. , Gil-Salas F. M. , Janssen D. , Martin G. , Cuadrado I. M. , Remah A. 
Published: May 2007

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is grown on approximately 1,500 ha in commercial greenhouses and is of major economic importance in the Souss-Massa Region, Agadir, Morocco. Since October 2003, symptoms resembling a viral disease, consisting of pod mosaic and distortion and mild to severe mosaic in leaves, have been observed on bean plants in several greenhouses. Mechanical inoculation with symptomatic leaf extracts produced necrotic local lesions on P. vulgaris ‘Pinto’ and systemic symptoms similar to those observed in the naturally infected bean plants P. vulgaris ‘Donna’ (five plants per cultivar). Inoculated and naturally infected samples reacted positively using a double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) to Southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV) (DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany), a member of the Sobemovirus genus that is transmitted by contact, soil, beetles, and seeds (1). Virions purified from a naturally infected ‘Donna’ plant contained a 30-kDa polypeptide that reacted positively using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blot analysis with SBMV antiserum (DSMZ). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction amplification with SMBV primers as described by Verhoeven et al. (2) produced an expected 870-bp band. The amplicon was cloned, sequenced (GenBank Accession No. AJ748276), and compared to those isolates available in GenBank and had a nucleotide sequence identity of 87% and a derived amino acid sequence identity of 95% with an SBMV isolate from Spain (2). During a survey in different areas of the Souss-Massa Region, 20 symptomatic leaf and pod samples were randomly collected from 12 greenhouses (50 ha) where significant commercial losses were suffered because of this virus disease, and all samples were positive using DAS-ELISA for SBMV. To our knowledge, this is the first report of SBMV in Morocco. References: (1) J. H. Tremaine and R. I. Hamilton. Southern bean mosaic virus. No. 274 in: Descriptions of Plant Viruses. CMI/AAB, Kew, Surrey, England, 1983. (2) J. Th. J. Verhoeven et al. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 109:935, 2003.
First Report of a Wilt Disease of Hiemalis Begonias Caused by Fusarium foetens in the United States
Authors: Elmer W. H. , Vossbrinck C. , Geiser D. M. 
Published: May 2007

During 2003, 10% of the Hiemalis begonias (Begonia × hiemalis Fotsch) developed wilt symptoms in a commercial greenhouse in Connecticut. Foliage turned a dull green, and stems developed a dark watersoaked discoloration near the soil line and had vascular discoloration. Stems, petioles, and leaves collapsed and became covered with sporodochia of a Fusarium spp. Single conidia were isolated from sporodochia and cultured on carnation leaf agar (CLA) and potato dextrose agar for 10 days. Isolates resembled Fusarium oxysporum, but the profuse sporulation with minimal aerial mycelium and the rare occurrence of polyphialides was consistent with the description of F. foetens (2). A comparison of a partial sequence of the 1-α elongation factor gene showed a 100% match with F. foetens. Inocula from five isolates were grown on CLA, washed from the plate, and adjusted to 106 conidia per ml. Suspension (50 μl) was injected into stems of healthy 6-week-old Hiemalis begonias cv. Barkos (one plant per isolate). Controls received distilled water. After 4 weeks, all inoculated plants turned dark and collapsed, and the same fungus was reisolated from these plants. Control stems remained healthy. An isolate (O-2348) has been deposited at the Fusarium Research Center at Pennsylvania State University, University Park. F. foetens has recently been described in association with a new disease of Hiemalis begonias in Europe (1). References: (1) R. Schrage, Phytomedizinischen Gesellschaft 33:68, 2003. (2) H.-J. Schroers et al. Mycologia 96:393, 2004.
First Report of Pythium tracheiphilum Causing Wilt and Leaf Blight on Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in Spain
Authors: González A. J. , Tello J. C. , Herrero M. L. 
Published: May 2007

Since 2002, a disease on lettuce plants (cv. Estibaliz) was observed in the field and in greenhouses in the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. The disease was estimated to cause losses of 20% in field-grown crops during the summer. Plants with aboveground symptoms of wilt and necrosis and darkening of vessels and necrosis in the tap root were collected. On potato dextrose agar (PDA), a fungus was recovered and identified as Pythium tracheiphilum according to the following characters: terminal or intercalary, globose or subglobose sporangia; zoospores formed in water; chlamydospores present in old cultures; smooth, globose, terminal, and intercalary oogonia; and smooth, globose oospores (2). For pathogenicity tests, two isolates were each inoculated on 9 seedlings (3 true leaves) and 9 plants (6 to 8 true leaves) of lettuce (Batavia type) grown in peat. Inoculum was prepared by suspending mycelium of the isolates collected from two PDA plates in 100 ml of distilled water with 10 ml poured around each plant. Control plants received distilled water only. Plants were maintained at 21°C and 80% relative humidity with a 12-h photoperiod. Symptoms were observed after 4 or 7 days for seedlings and plants, respectively. Within 20 days, 33% of the seedlings and plants died, and all surviving plants showed symptoms. Symptoms did not occur on the control plants. P. tracheiphilum was reisolated from inoculated plants but not from the control plants. This fungus has been described previously as a lettuce pathogen in France and Italy (1) but to our knowledge, this is the first report of P. tracheiphilum infecting lettuce in Spain. Reference: (1) C. M. Messiaen et al. Enfermedades de las hortalizas, Mundi-prensa, Madrid. 1995. (2) A. J. van der Plaats-Niterink. Stud Mycol. 21:1, 1981.
First Report of the Occurrence of Tomato chlorosis virus and Tomato infectious chlorosis virus in Taiwan
Authors: Tsai W. S. , Shih S. L. , Green S. K. , Hanson P. , Liu H. Y. 
Published: May 2007

Pronounced yellowing symptoms on the lower leaves of tomato plants, similar to those caused by nitrogen deficiency, were observed in the spring of 1998 in The Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center and in farmers' fields in southern Taiwan. However, the brittleness of the discolored leaves, occasional upward leaf rolling, and abundance of whiteflies on these plants suggested the involvement of Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) and Tomato infectious chlorosis virus (TICV) that belong to the group of whitefly-transmitted, phloem-limited criniviruses (family Closteroviridae). Leaves of symptomatic and healthy plants were collected, and total nucleic acids were extracted from 0.2 g of leaf tissue (1). The total nucleic acids were precipitated by ethanol and dissolved in 160 μl of sterile water. Eight microliters of total nucleic acids were observed on positively charged nylon membranes (Roche Diagnostic GmbH, Roch Applied Science, Germany). Two digoxigenin-labeled riboprobes, transcribed from pTIC8-44 (complementary to the 3′-end region of TICV RNA 1) and pToC 78 (corresponding to the coat protein region of ToCV RNA 2), were used in hybridization tests to detect TICV and ToCV, respectively (2). Six of seventeen symptomatic tomato plant samples were positive with the ToCV probe, whereas none of the 13 samples reacted with the TICV probe. Similar symptoms as described above for tomato were observed on zinnia plants in the same locations. Five of eight zinnia samples gave a positive reaction with the ToCV probe. One of the ToCV positive samples also gave a positive reaction with the TICV probe. Electron microscopic examination from leaf-dip preparations of ToCV-positive leaf tissues, stained in 1% uranyl acetate, showed the presence of flexuous filamentous particles approximately 800 to 850 nm long. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of the presence of ToCV and TICV in zinnia and ToCV in tomato in Taiwan. References: (1) A. Hadidi et al. J. Virol. Methods 30:261, 1990. (2) G. C. Wisler et al. Phytopathology 88:402, 1998.