bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
First Report of Puccinia helianthi (Race 314) on Sunflower in Mozambique
Authors: Zazzerini A. , Tosi L. 
Published: May 2007

Rust of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) caused by Puccinia helianthi Schwein. is a major sunflower disease in Mozambique where local ecotypes, from Peredovik and Record selections, and South African commercial varieties were all susceptible to race 4, which was prevalent among isolates collected from 1996 to 1997 (1). Disease surveys carried out in southern Mozambique (Maputo) from August until September 2002 revealed an increase in the incidence and severity of sunflower rust compared to previous investigations on the same varieties. Rust symptoms, observed in all fields, appeared on the last leaf pairs of plants at the 5.1 growth stage. Disease severity (percentage of leaf area infected) (2) ranged from 20 to 60%, but the disease did not cause noticeable yield loss because rust infection started near the end of the season. Argentine and African commercial varieties and some experimental Mozambican selections from sunflower accessions of different origin were the most severely affected. Two rust samples were collected from infected leaves, stored at 5°C, and increased on the universal suscept (S-37-388). Race identification of both isolates was determined on three sets of nine differential lines (three lines per each set): S-37-388, CM 90 RR, MC 29; P-386, HA-R1, HA-R2; and HA-R3, HA-R4, HA-R5 using the triplet coding system (3). The 2-week-old seedlings (four per 10-cm pot) of each differential line (four pots per line) were inoculated on the upper surface of the first pair of true leaves. Inoculated seedlings were covered with plastic bags, placed in a growth chamber without light for 18 to 22 h, and then transferred to a greenhouse under alternate day/night temperatures of 22/18 ± 2°C, 60 to 70% relative humidity, and 12 h of light (180 μE·m-2·s-1) per day. The inoculation test was repeated twice. Assessment of host differential reactions, 14 days after inoculation, was based on five categories of sunflower reaction to rust (4). Both isolates were identified as race 314 and to our knowledge, this is the first report of this race in Mozambique. Since P. helianthi completes its life cycle annually, the occurrence of new races is expected. The opportunity for new races to occur is particularly high and severe in Mozambique where all sunflower varieties grown as summer (January to June) and winter (August to December) crops are susceptible. References: (1) P. M. Vicente and A. Zazzerini. Helia 20:25, 1997. (2) T. J. Gulya et al. NDSU Extension Serv. PP-998, 1990. (3) T. J. Gulya and S. Masirevic. FAO Eur. Res. Network on Sunflower. Bucarest, Romania, 31, 1995. (4) S. M. Yang. Ann. Phytopathol. Soc. Jpn. 52:248, 1986.
First Report of the Presence of Albugo tragopogonis on Cineraria maritima in Italy
Authors: Garibaldi A. , Minuto A. , Bertetti D. , Gullino M. L. 
Published: May 2007

Cineraria maritima L. (synonym Senecio cineraria DC.), commonly known as dusty-miller, is grown in Italy for landscape use in parks and gardens. In the spring of 2001, severe outbreaks of a previously unknown disease were observed in commercial farms located in northern Italy. Leaves of infected plants showed several sori on the abaxial surface, progressing to the adaxial surface, and often in the interveinal areas. On the adaxial surface of leaves, chlorotic areas developed and eventually turned brown. Severely infected leaves wilted, but remained attached to the stem. Signs of the fungus were present as whitish and catenulate sporangia emerging from the sori. Sporangia, organized in chains, had an average diameter of 20.5 × 26.5 μm. On the basis of the microscopic observations, the causal agent of the disease was identified as Albugo tragopogonis. Pathogenicity was confirmed by inoculating leaves of healthy C. maritima plants with a sporangial suspension (5 × 102 sporangia per ml) obtained from infected plants. Noninoculated plants served as a control. Plants were kept covered with plastic bags for 72 h and maintained at 15°C. After 10 days, typical symptoms of white rust developed on inoculated plants starting from the basal leaves. Within 30 days, affected leaves were completely wilted. Microscopic examination of sporangia within sori verified the pathogen to be A. tragopogonis. No symptoms developed on the control plants. A. tragopogonis has been reported as the causal agent of white rust on several species belonging to the genus Senecio in the United States (1). In New Zealand, the presence of A. tragopogonis was reported on the genus Cineraria in 1959 (2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of white rust on Cineraria maritima in Italy. References: (1) D. F. Farr et al. Fungi on Plants and Plant Products in the United States. The American Phytopathological Society, St Paul, MN, 1989. (2) J. M. Dingley. N. Z. J. Agric. Res. 2:380, 1959.
First Report of Fusarium Wilt of Alfalfa in Greece
Authors: Antonopoulos D. F. , Elena K. , Tjamos E. C. 
Published: May 2007

In August 2000, samples of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) plants cv. Iliki showing wilt symptoms consistent with those reported for Fusarium wilt (1) were collected from an alfalfa field of the Agricultural University of Athens. Symptoms of the disease were chlorosis, yellowing, premature defoliation, wilting, vascular discoloration (dark brown), stunting, and death of plants. Fusarium oxysporum was isolated from the stems of diseased plants. Fresh cultures of the isolated fungus on potato dextrose agar (PDA) media developed whitish purple mycelium, short phialides, microconidia, and later, macroconidia and chlamydospores matching the description of F. oxysporum Schlechtend.:Fr. f. sp. medicaginis (Weimer) W.C. Snyder & H.N. Hans. (2). The fungus was maintained on PDA cultures at 4°C. Pathogenicity tests were conducted in a greenhouse (12-h photoperiod at 25 to 32°C) on alfalfa Greek cv. Iliki. An aqueous suspension of 107 microconidia per ml was prepared, and roots of 7-week-old seedlings were dipped for 20 min and then returned to pots. Within 15 days, all inoculated plants exhibited typical Fusarium wilt symptoms similar to those observed in the field. Four weeks after inoculation, almost all plants were dead. Control seedlings (root-dipped for 20 min in sterile distilled water) remained healthy. The fungus was reisolated from the symptomatic seedlings, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Weimer (3) first described Fusarium wilt of alfalfa and identified the causal organism as Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. medicaginis. Cross-artificial inoculation to cotton plants cv. Myrto, Christina, and Acala CJ2 was also performed, but none of the cultivars developed any macroscopic symptoms of the disease. To our knowledge, this is the first report of alfalfa Fusarium wilt in Greece. Although the pathogen was located in a rather isolated spot of alfalfa cultivation in Attica County, the occurrence of the pathogen and its importance in other alfalfa growing regions of Greece will be investigated. References: (1) D. C. Erwin. Fusarium wilt. Pages 33–34 in: Compendium of Alfalfa Diseases. 2nd ed. D. L. Stuteville and D. C. Erwin eds. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN, 1990. (2) W. C. Snyder and H. N. Hansen. Am. J. Bot. 27:64, 1940. (3) J. L. Weimer. J. Agric. Res. 37:419, 1928.
First Report of Tomato infectious chlorosis virus in Tomato in Indonesia
Authors: Verhoeven J. Th. J. , Willemen T. M. , Roenhorst J. W. , van der Vlugt R. A. A. 
Published: May 2007

In 2002, a breeding company submitted several samples of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) for diagnosis. Samples originated in Indonesia and were taken from protected and nonprotected crops. Plants exhibited severe chlorosis on fully expanded leaves, while young leaves were symptomless. Symptoms resembled those of the criniviruses Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) and Tomato infectious chlorosis virus (TICV). Moreover, large numbers of whiteflies, potential vectors of these viruses, had been observed at the plots with symptomatic plants. A reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with specific primers for TICV (1) yielded amplicons of the expected size of approximately 500 bp for all samples. One of the amplicons was sequenced (Genbank Accession No. AY221097) and revealed more than 98.9% identity to six isolates of TICV in NCBI Genbank. cDNA synthesis using the universal crinivirus primer HSP_M2-DW (5′ -TCRAARGTWCCKCCNCCRAA-3′) followed by PCR with a ToCV specific primerset (ToCV-UP 5′-TCATTAAAACTCAATGGGACCGAG-3′ and ToCV-DW 5′-GCGACGT AAATTGAAACCC-3′) was negative in all cases. Grafting of symptomatic shoots onto healthy tomato seedlings of cv. Money-maker showed transmission of the virus, as chlorosis appeared on fully expanded leaves of lateral shoots after 6 weeks. The presence of TICV in the graft-inoculated plants was confirmed by RT-PCR. Furthermore, mechanical inoculation to a range of herbaceous test plants did not evoke any virus symptoms, indicating the absence of mechanically transmissible viruses. Although other nonmechanically transmissible viruses cannot be fully excluded, the results together with the symptoms observed, indicate that TICV is the cause of the disease. TICV has been reported from Greece, Italy, Japan, Spain, and the United States, but to our knowledge, this is the first report of TICV in Indonesia. Reference: (1) A. M. Vaira et al. Phytoparasitica 30:290, 2002.
First Report of a Blight Caused by Rhizoctonia solani on Anubias heterophylla in Italy
Authors: Garibaldi A. , Minuto G. , Nicoletti R. , Gullino M. L. 
Published: May 2007

Anubias heterophylla Engler, which is used in aquariums, is a species in the Araceae family native to western tropical Africa. A few nurseries in Italy produce plants for this market. During the spring of 2002, symptoms of blight were observed on Anubias plants grown in an ebb and flow soilless media system in a nursery in Sardinia, Italy. Approximately 10% of the plants were infected. Symptoms initially developed as water-soaked, zonate lesions on the base of stems. Symptoms progressed rapidly and affected the entire plant. Eventually the plant collapsed. The growing conditions (soilless cultivation, high plant density, temperatures at 22–24°C, and 95 to 98% humidity) were conducive to disease development. Isolations from infected leaf and stem tissue on potato dextrose agar (PDA) with streptomycin sulphate at 100 mg/l consistently yielded a fungus with mycelial and cultural characteristics of Rhizoctonia solani Kühn (2). The fungus was characterized as R. solani AG-IV based on hyphal anastomosis with several AG-IV tester isolates (1). Pathogenicity tests were conducted by placing 5-day-old mycelial plugs grown on PDA at the base of healthy A. heterophylla stems and maintaining the plants in a dew chamber at 18 to 22°C. After 7 days, symptoms of basal rot were observed on stems of inoculated plants, and the entire plants were wilted. Plants not inoculated remained healthy. Rhizoctonia solani AG-IV was reisolated from all inoculated plants. The pathogenicity test was repeated. To our knowledge, this is the first report of R. solani on A. heterophylla. Since there are only a few nurseries that grow Anubias, the economic impact of the disease in Italy is minimal. References: (1) J. R. Parmeter et al. Phytopathology, 59:1270, 1969. (2) B. Sneh et al. Rhizoctonia Species: Taxonomy, Molecular Biology, Ecology, Pathology and Disease Control. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, the Netherlands 1996.
First Report on Molecular Detection of Phytoplasmas in Papaya in Cuba
Authors: Arocha Y. , Horta D. , Peralta E. , Jones P. 
Published: May 2007

Phytoplasmas and rickettsias have been associated with recent nonviral papaya diseases (1,2). Forty leaf samples with symptoms similar to papaya bunchy top (PBT) (1) and Australian papaya diseases (2) were collected from surveys done in Cuban papaya areas of Havana and Villa Clara provinces. Thirty nine plants showed typical PBT symptoms, while 35 plants also exhibited symptoms previously described for phytoplasma diseases (2) such as yellowing, crinkling, necrosis and deformation of older leaves, phyllody, virescence, short internodes, reduced latex flow, stunted crown leaves, and abscission of the fruit. Samples were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy, nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) with 16S ribosomal RNA phytoplasma primers SN910601/DH6-R16F2n/R16R2, PCR with rickettsial succinate dehydrogenase gene (sdhA) primers PBT1/PBT2, HaeIII, RsaI, and AluI enzyme restriction, and phytoplasma intergenic sequence analyses. Rickettsia PCR amplifications of 750 bp were obtained for samples with PBT symptoms, while the 35 phytoplasma-infected samples yielded amplifications of 1,250 bp. Restriction profiles and a 98% homology in the intergenic sequence (GenBank Accession No. AY257547) confirmed the presence of apple proliferation phytoplasma group. Electron microscopy analysis evidenced the presence of particles similar to rickettsia and phytoplasma pleomorfic bodies in more than 50% of samples analysed. Also, those similar to potyvirus and rhabdovirus were observed in 22.5%. To our knowledge, these results are the first report on the molecular detection of phytoplasmas in papaya in Cuba and suggest a possible concomitance among phytopathogens detected. References: (1) M. Davis et al. Curr. Microbiol. 36:80, 1998. (2) K. Gibb et al. Plant Dis. 80:174, 1996.
First Report of Powdery Mildew of Greenhouse Pepper Caused by Leveillula taurica in British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Cerkauskas R. F. , Buonassisi A. 
Published: May 2007

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.
First Report of Alternaria Leaf Blight of Aralia japonica Caused by Alternaria panax in Europe
Authors: Garibaldi A. , Gilardi G. , Gullino M. L. 
Published: May 2007

Aralia japonica (synonym Fatsia japonica), belonging to the Araliaceae family, is a foliage plant highly valued in Italy for landscape and interior decoration. In the fall of 2002, a leaf blight disease was observed on plants grown in pots that were maintained under shade at a density of 15 to 20 pots per m2 at a nursery located in central Italy (Teramo Province). Typical symptoms were tan-to-dark brown leaf spots and rapid blighting of foliage under moist conditions. Chlorotic zones around necrotic lesions were common, and considerable leaf drop was associated with the disease. Affected plants were rarely killed, but the presence of lesions on mature plants reduced aesthetic quality and market value. The disease occurred on 70% of the plants. A fungus identified morphologically as Alternaria panax (2) was consistently isolated from infected leaves on potato dextrose agar (PDA). The fungus grows slowly and sparsely on PDA and produces a light brown mycelium, a characteristic red diffusible pigment in the agar medium, and rare conidia under 12-hr photoperiods. Measurements were carried out on conidia formed from single-spore isolates grown on autoclavated host tissue on water agar (LWA) at 24°C for 10 days. In LWA culture, conidia were borne singly or in chains of two to four conidia. Conidia produced in culture were smaller than those formed on the host and were highly variable in shape. They appeared obclavate, ellipsoidal, and obpyriform and pale to dark brown with relatively short or false beaks. Conidial bodies were 14.4 to 48.0 μm long (average 30.5 μm) and 7.2 to 12.0 μm wide (average 9.9 μm) with 3 to 10 transverse and a few longitudinal septa. Length of appendages was 9.6 to 26.0 μm (average 16.0 μm). Pathogenicity tests were performed by inoculating leaves of healthy Aralia japonica and Schefflera actinophylla plants by placing mycelial disks (5 mm in diameter) directly on wounded leaf tissues. Uninoculated, wounded plants served as controls. Four plants of each species were used. Plants were covered for 72 h with plastic bags and maintained in a growth chamber at 20°C (12 hours per day of fluorescent light). Control plants were maintained similarly. The first lesions developed on leaves of inoculated plants of both species after 7 days. A. panax was consistently reisolated from the lesions. The pathogenicity test was carried out twice. The presence of A. panax on Aralia japonica has been reported in Japan, Korea (2), and the United States (1) but to our knowledge, this is the first report of A. panax on Aralia japonica in Europe. References: (1) S. Alfieri et al. Index of plant diseases in Florida. Bull. 11:52, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 1984 (2) S. H. Yu et al. Ann. Phytopathol. Soc. Jpn. 50:313, 1984.
First Record of Barley yellow striate mosaic virus Affecting Wheat Summer-Nurseries in Syria
Authors: Makkouk Khaled M. , Kumari Safaa G. , Ghulam Widad , Attar Nouran 
Published: May 2007

A limited survey to identify virus diseases affecting wheat in summer nurseries in agricultural stations in southern Syria was conducted during October 2002. A total of 94 bread and durum wheat samples with symptoms suggestive of virus infection (stripping, stunting, and yellowing) were collected. All samples were tested for the presence of four viruses by tissue-blot immunoassay (2) at the Virology Laboratory of ICARDA, Aleppo, Syria using the following polyclonal antibodies: Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV); Barley yellow dwarf virus-PAV (BYDV-PAV) and Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) from the Virology Laboratory at ICARDA; and Barley yellow striate mosaic virus (BYSMV) isolated from Italy (BYSMV-Italy) and provided by M. Conti, Instituto di Fitovirologia applicata, Turino, Italy. Serological results obtained indicated that BYSMV was the most commonly encountered virus (78.7%) followed by BYDV-PAV (22.3%), whereas, BSMV and WSMV were not detected in any of the samples tested. In sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, followed by western blots, purified BYSMV preparations were observed to contain a 47-kDa structural protein typical of the N protein of Rhabdoviruses that reacted strongly with three BYSMV antisera (BYSMV-Italy, BYSMV-Lebanon [4], and BYSMV-Morocco [1]). Samples that reacted with BYSMV antisera were transmitted from wheat to wheat, barley, and oat plants by the planthopper Laodelphax striatella (Fallen) (Hemiptera: family Delphacidae) in a persistent manner, and the major symptoms of BYSMV on cereal crops were stripping and stunting. BYDV-PAV has been reported from Syria earlier (3) but to our knowledge, this is the first report of BYSMV affecting wheat in Syria. References: (1) B. E. Lockhart et al. Plant Dis. 70:1113, 1986. (2) K. M. Makkouk and A. Comeau. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 100:71, 1994. (3) K. M. Makkouk et al. Phytopathol. Mediterr. 28:164, 1989. (4) K. M. Makkouk et al. Plant Dis. 85:446, 2001.
First Report of Fusarium oxysporum Causing Vascular Wilt of Lamb's Lettuce (Valerianella olitoria) in Italy
Authors: Garibaldi A. , Gilardi G. , Gullino M. L. 
Published: May 2007

Lamb's lettuce (Valerianella olitoria), also known as corn salad, is increasingly grown in Italy and used primarily in the preparation of mixed processed salad. In the summer of 2003, plants of lamb's lettuce cvs. Trophy and Palmares exhibiting wilt symptoms were observed in several commercial greenhouses near Bergamo in northern Italy. Wilted 30-day-old plants were observed first during the month of June, at the time of thinning when temperatures ranged between 28 and 35°C. Disease was generally uniform in the greenhouses and 30 to 50% of the plants were affected. Vascular tissue of affected seedlings appeared red or brown but later turned brown or black. Affected plants were stunted and developed yellowed leaves. Vascular discoloration was continuous from the upper taproot through the crown to the leaf. Fusarium oxysporum was consistently isolated from symptomatic vascular tissue onto a Fusarium-selective medium (1). Seeds of the same cultivars (Trophy and Palmares) affected by the wilt in the field were artificially inoculated by dipping them for 15 min into spore suspensions (1 × 106 conidia per ml) of three isolates of F. oxysporum obtained from infected plants. Noninoculated seeds served as control treatments. Forty seeds per treatment were sown in pots (1-liter volume) containing steam-sterilized soil and maintained at 25°C in a growth chamber programmed for 12 hours of light per day. Wilt symptoms developed on both cultivars 20 days after seeding, and F. oxysporum was consistently reisolated from infected plants. The plants obtained from noninoculated seeds remained healthy. The pathogenicity test was carried out twice with similar results. To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. oxysporum causing vascular wilt of lamb's lettuce and may warrant a new forma specialis designation. Reference: (1) H. Komada. Rev. Plant Prot. Res. 8:114, 1975.