| Mycocentrospora acerina | |
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| Symptoms of Mycocentrospora acerina on a maple leaf, and microscopic drawing of the fungus inserting between the cells of the leaf | |
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| Species: | M. acerina |
| Binomial name | |
| Mycocentrospora acerina (R. Hartig) Deighton, (1972) | |
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Ansatospora acerina(R. Hartig) H.N. Hansen & Tompkins, (1945) Contents | |
Mycocentrospora acerina is a deuteromycete fungus that is a plant pathogen.
Mycocentrospora acerina has a wide host range effecting vegetables, ornamentals and weeds. [1] Umbelliferous (carrot family) crops are particularly vulnerable and among the most economically important of the hosts. [2] Mycocentrospora acerina causes an important post-harvest disease named "liquorice rot" in carrots which have been the most studied host. During the growing stage of carrots, the pathogen can cause damping-off and death of seedlings, stunting, early senescence, and leaf lesions that are brown necrotic flecks. Once the carrots are in storage the liquorice rot occurs where root lesions appear that are black in color. [3]
Mycocentrospora acerina is a deuteromycete (no sexual stage) soil-borne fungus that is a root inhabitant. [4] The life cycle starts and ends with the chlamydospore. The chlamydospore is a thick walled, dark pigmented resting spore that overwinters in the soil or plant debris and can stay dormant for several years without losing viability. It will only germinate in the soil when it senses a host root nearby or when conditions are right when it is on the surface. In the soil it will produce germ tubes and mycelial growth that will infect the root through a wound and begin producing more chlamydospores. On the surface the chlamydospore will produce a short germ tube with terminal conidia attached that will disperse through water and infect a leaf. The leaf infection will create a lesion where conidiophores will produce conidia. [5] The conidia will then be dispersed through rain splash and infect other leaves. [6] Some conidia that end up in the soil will convert into chlamydospores for survival.
Mycocentrospora acerina is found in temperate climates and grows best at 18 degrees Celsius (65 degrees Fahrenheit). The temperate climate leads to long refrigeration time for the carrots that induces the storage rot. [7] Rainfall is needed to induce sporulation and dispersal of conidia. [5] The pathogen has a greater impact in sandy soils and this is hypothesized to be that the host roots take more wounds in sandy soils and that there is less microflora to buffer the pathogen. [4] Growing hosts plants in rotation allows for the buildup of chlamydospores in the soil from infected plant litter, allowing for greater disease rates over time.
Falcarindiol (cis-heptadeca-1,9-diene-4,6-diyne-3,8-diol) is a polyacetylene found in carrot roots. This compound shows antifungal activity towards M. acerina. [8]
Texas root rot is a disease that is fairly common in Mexico and the southwestern United States resulting in sudden wilt and death of affected plants, usually during the warmer months. It is caused by a soil-borne fungus named Phymatotrichopsis omnivora that attacks the roots of susceptible plants. It was first discovered in 1888 by Pammel and later named by Duggar in 1916.
Phytophthora palmivora is an oomycete that causes bud-rot of palms, fruit-rot or kole-roga of coconut and areca nut. These are among the most serious diseases caused by fungi and moulds in South India. It occurs almost every year in Malnad, Mysore, North & South Kanara, Malabar and other areas. Similar diseases of palms are also known to occur in Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and Sumatra. The causative organism was first identified as P. palmivora by Edwin John Butler in 1917.
Armillaria luteobubalina, commonly known as the Australian honey fungus, is a species of mushroom in the family Physalacriaceae. Widely distributed in southern Australia, the fungus is responsible for a disease known as Armillaria root rot, a primary cause of Eucalyptus tree death and forest dieback. It is the most pathogenic and widespread of the six Armillaria species found in Australia. The fungus has also been collected in Argentina and Chile. Fruit bodies have cream- to tan-coloured caps that grow up to 10 cm (4 in) in diameter and stems that measure up to 20 cm (8 in) long by 1.5 cm (1 in) thick. The fruit bodies, which appear at the base of infected trees and other woody plants in autumn (March–April), are edible, but require cooking to remove the bitter taste. The fungus is dispersed through spores produced on gills on the underside of the caps, and also by growing vegetatively through the root systems of host trees. The ability of the fungus to spread vegetatively is facilitated by an aerating system that allows it to efficiently diffuse oxygen through rhizomorphs—rootlike structures made of dense masses of hyphae.
Thielaviopsis basicola is the plant-pathogen fungus responsible for black root rot disease. This particular disease has a large host range, affecting woody ornamentals, herbaceous ornamentals, agronomic crops, and even vegetable crops. Examples of susceptible hosts include petunia, pansy, poinsettia, tobacco, cotton, carrot, lettuce, tomato, and others. Symptoms of this disease resemble nutrient deficiency but are truly a result of the decaying root systems of plants. Common symptoms include chlorotic lower foliage, yellowing of plant, stunting or wilting, and black lesions along the roots. The lesions along the roots may appear red at first, getting darker and turning black as the disease progresses. Black root lesions that begin in the middle of a root can also spread further along the roots in either direction. Due to the nature of the pathogen, the disease can easily be identified by the black lesions along the roots, especially when compared to healthy roots. The black lesions that appear along the roots are a result of the formation of chlamydospores, resting spores of the fungus that contribute to its pathogenicity. The chlamydospores are a dark brown-black color and cause the "discoloration" of the roots when they are produced in large amounts.
Phytophthora nicotianae or black shank is an oomycete belonging to the order Peronosporales and family Peronosporaceae.
Mycosphaerella brassicicola is a plant pathogen. The pathogen is the teleomorph phase of an ascomycete fungus, which causes the ring spot disease of brassicas. The supplementary anamorph phase Asteromella brassicae produces conidia through its asexual reproduction, however these spores are not confirmed to cause disease in host plants.
Mycosphaerella coffeicola is a sexually reproducing fungal plant pathogen. It is most commonly referred to as the asexual organism Cercospora coffeicola.
Nectria radicicola is a plant pathogen that is the causal agent of root rot and rusty root. Substrates include ginseng and Narcissus. It is also implicated in the black foot disease of grapevine. It is of the genus Nectria and the family Nectriaceae. N. radicicola is recognizable due to its unique anatomy, morphology, and the formation of its anamorph Cylindrocarpon desructans.
Rosellinia necatrix is a fungal plant pathogen infecting several hosts including apples, apricots, avocados, cassava, strawberries, pears, hop. citruses and Narcissus, causing white root rot.
Lasiodiplodia theobromae is a plant pathogen with a very wide host range. It causes rotting and dieback in most species it infects. It is a common post harvest fungus disease of citrus known as stem-end rot. It is a cause of bot canker of grapevine. It also infects Biancaea sappan, a species of flowering tree also known as Sappanwood.
Ceratocystis paradoxa or Black Rot of Pineapple is a plant pathogen that is a fungus, part of the phylum Ascomycota. It is characterized as the teleomorph or sexual reproduction stage of infection. This stage contains ascocarps, or sacs/fruiting bodies, which contain the sexually produced inoculating ascospores. These are the structures which are used primarily to survive long periods of time or overwinter to prepare for the next growing season of its host. Unfortunately, the sexual stage is not often seen in the natural field but instead the anamorph, or asexual stage is more commonly seen. This asexual stage name is Thielaviopsis paradoxa and is the common cause of Black rot or stem-end rot of its hosts.
Alternaria dauci is a plant pathogen. The English name of the disease it incites is "carrot leaf blight".
Microdochium panattonianum is a fungal plant pathogen. This pathogen causes anthracnose of lettuce, a disease which produces necrotic lesions in cultivated lettuce. In extended periods of wet weather, M. panattonianum can cause significant crop-losses. The impact of this pathogen is exacerbated by farming lettuce without crop rotation, and by planting of susceptible lettuce varieties, such as Romaine lettuce.
Nigrospora sphaerica is an airborne filamentous fungus in the phylum Ascomycota. It is found in soil, air, and plants as a leaf pathogen. It can occur as an endophyte where it produces antiviral and antifungal secondary metabolites. Sporulation of N. sphaerica causes its initial white coloured colonies to rapidly turn black. N. sphaerica is often confused with the closely related species N. oryzae due to their morphological similarities.
Monilinia fructigena is a plant pathogen in the fungus kingdom causing a fruit rot of apples, pears, plums, peaches and cherries.
Alternaria helianthi is a fungal plant pathogen causing a disease in sunflowers known as Alternaria blight of sunflower.
Falcarindiol is a polyyne found in carrot roots which has antifungal activity. Falcarindiol is the main compound responsible for bitterness in carrots. Falcarindiol and other falcarindiol-type polyacetylenes are also found in many other plants of the family Apiaceae, including some commonly used seasonings such as dill and parsley.
Phytophthora quercina is a papillate homothallic soil-borne plant pathogen causing root rot of oak tree species in Europe. It is associated with necrotic fine roots.
Alternaria leaf spot or Alternaria leaf blight are a group of fungal diseases in plants, that have a variety of hosts. The diseases infects common garden plants, such as cabbage, and are caused by several closely related species of fungi. Some of these fungal species target specific plants, while others have been known to target plant families. One commercially relevant plant genus that can be affected by Alternaria Leaf Spot is Brassica, as the cosmetic issues caused by symptomatic lesions can lead to rejection of crops by distributors and buyers. When certain crops such as cauliflower and broccoli are infected, the heads deteriorate and there is a complete loss of marketability. Secondary soft-rotting organisms can infect stored cabbage that has been affected by Alternaria Leaf Spot by entering through symptomatic lesions. Alternaria Leaf Spot diseases that affect Brassica species are caused by the pathogens Alternaria brassicae and Alternaria brassicicola.
John Colhoun was a British mycologist, phytopathologist, and professor of cryptogamic botany. For a one-year term from 1963 to 1964 he was the president of the British Mycological Society.