| Plenodomus destruens | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Dothideomycetes |
| Order: | Pleosporales |
| Family: | Leptosphaeriaceae |
| Genus: | Plenodomus |
| Species: | P. destruens |
| Binomial name | |
| Plenodomus destruens Harter, (1913) | |
| Synonyms | |
Phomopsis destruens(Harter) Boerema (1996) | |
Plenodomus destruens [1] or Diaporthe destruens [2] is a fungal plant pathogen infecting sweet potatoes [1] known as foot rot. [3] It can affect sweet potatoes regardless of their age, and it decays them with lesions that eventually increase in size. [4] The fungus causes wilting in sweet potato plants, [5] causes leaves to turn yellow, and causes the part of the stem closest to the soil to turn brown. [3] Foot rot can lead to plant death. [6] In Brazil, it is considered a major disease for sweet potatoes [7] and can destroy entire crops. [8] Foot rot typically impacts sweet potatoes mid-season to harvest times, but can be controlled using similar methods to control fungal plant pathogens Monilochaetes infuscans and Ceratocystis fimbriata. [3] Some chemicals used to control the fungus include benomyl, thiabendazole and captan. [8]
First observed in Virginia in 1913, foot rot affects sweet potatoes in certain areas of North America and South America, eastern Africa, and New Zealand. [2] [9] It also affects members of the genus Jacquemontia . [10]
