Ascochyta

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Ascochyta
Ascochyta.teucrii.-.lindsey.jpg
Ascochyta teucrii from Commanster, Belgium
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Dothideomycetes
Order: Pleosporales
Family: Didymellaceae
Genus: Ascochyta
Lib. (1930)
Type species
Ascochyta pisi
Lib. (1830)
Species

See text

Ascochyta is a genus of ascomycete fungi, containing several species that are pathogenic to plants, particularly cereal crops. The taxonomy of this genus is still incomplete. The genus was first described in 1830 by Marie-Anne Libert, who regarded the spores as minute asci and the cell contents as spherical spores. [1] Numerous revisions to the members of the genus and its description were made for the next several years. Species that are plant pathogenic on cereals include, A. hordei , A. graminea , A. sorghi , A. tritici . Symptoms are usually elliptical spots that are initially chlorotic and later become a necrotic brown. Management includes fungicide applications and sanitation of diseased plant tissue debris.

Contents

Some of these pathogens in the genus Ascochyta affect grass species, including grains.

Some selected species of Ascochyta

Hosts and symptoms

Hosts species include wheat, barley, oats, rye, triticale, turfgrasses and many other grass species found throughout the world. Symptoms are found on lower leaves early in the season and upper leaves later in the season. Lesions are usually elliptical and are initially chlorotic. Later, they develop a brown margin with a white center and split longitudinally. Pycnidia can be found within the lesions are generally black in color. [2]

Disease cycle

The fungus often invades damaged leaf tissue caused by physical damage but can also penetrate through natural openings, such as stomata. In the spring, the primary inoculum is thought to be conidia, which are produced from pycnidia, and are dispersed by rainsplash to infect leaves. Infections lead to leaf spots which eventually develop into lesions. Black pycnidia can be observed in lesions. Secondary infection occurs when pycnidia produce more conidia during the growing season that are again dispersed by rainsplash and spread to new leaves for infection. The fungus overwinters as mycelium and pycnidia in host debris. Perithecia have also been observed in lesions and have been demonstrated to produce ascospores in later summer. Air-borne ascospores disperse in the fall and may cause primary infections the following season.

Environment

Leaf spotting symptoms are often associated with high humidity, warm temperatures, dense foliage, and leaves in contact with soil. [3] Because the fungus overwinters in plant debris on or in the soil and conidia are dispersed by rainsplash, initial infections occur on leaves in close proximity to the soil. High humidity and temperature promote sporulation. Dense foliage, which promotes high relative humidity, also promotes disease.

Management

Currently, specific controls for Ascochyta leaf spot diseases have not been clearly described. [4] Effective controls for a similar disease, Septoria leaf blotch, have been prescribed for Ascochyta leaf spot diseases. These include: crop rotation, fungicide application, variety selection, irrigation management, tillage to reduce residue, and good grassy weed control. [5] Fungicides that are listed as providing 'Very Good' control of Septoria leaf blotch include Azoxystrobin 22.9%, Pyraclostrobin 3.6%, and Propiconazole 41.8%. [5] Applying fungicides at the beginning of the season reduces the number of sporulating pycnidia and mycelium that overwintered. Sanitation through removing all plant debris from the field at the end of the season reduces the inoculum for the following season. Reduced irrigation prevents the spread of conidia from infected leaves to healthy leaves by decreasing dispersal of conidia. Removing grassy weeds that can harbor the pathogen also decreases the presence of inoculum. [6] [7] [8]

Importance

The disease is of relatively minor economic importance but is likely to contribute to foliar death in individual crops. Symptoms are often observed later in the season, towards the end of grain filling, when disease is unlikely to cause significant yield loss. The air-borne ascospores have been implicated in late summer asthma. [2] Ascochyta can also cause leaf blight of turf grasses, so its importance is not limited to cereal grain crops. [9] [10] Ascochyta leaf blight of turf has become a common, although minor, disease of Kentucky bluegrass lawns in the United States. [11]

See also

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<i>Ascochyta pisi</i> Species of fungus

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<i>Ascochyta sorghi</i> Species of fungus

Ascochyta sorghi is a fungal plant pathogen. It causes Ascochyta leaf spot on barley that can also be caused by the related fungi Ascochyta hordei, Ascochyta graminea and Ascochyta tritici. It is considered a minor disease of barley.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ascochyta diseases of pea</span>

Ascochyta blights occur throughout the world and can be of significant economic importance. Three fungi contribute to the ascochyta blight disease complex of pea. Ascochyta pinodes causes Mycosphaerella blight. Ascochyta pinodella causes Ascochyta foot rot, and Ascochyta pisi causes Ascochyta blight and pod spot. Of the three fungi, Ascochyta pinodes is of the most importance. These diseases are conducive under wet and humid conditions and can cause a yield loss of up to fifty percent if left uncontrolled. The best method to control ascochyta blights of pea is to reduce the amount of primary inoculum through sanitation, crop-rotation, and altering the sowing date. Other methods—chemical control, biological control, and development of resistant varieties—may also be used to effectively control ascochyta diseases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern corn leaf blight</span> Fungal disease of maize

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Gummy stem blight is a cucurbit-rot disease caused by the fungal plant pathogen Didymella bryoniae. Gummy stem blight can affect a host at any stage of growth in its development and affects all parts of the host including leaves, stems and fruits. Symptoms generally consist of circular dark tan lesions that blight the leaf, water soaked leaves, stem cankers, and gummy brown ooze that exudes from cankers, giving it the name gummy stem blight. Gummy stem blight reduces yields of edible cucurbits by devastating the vines and leaves and rotting the fruits. There are various methods to control gummy stem blight, including use of treated seed, crop rotation, using preventative fungicides, eradication of diseased material, and deep plowing previous debris.

<i>Botrytis squamosa</i> Species of fungus which can damage onion crops

Botrytis squamosa is a fungus that causes leaf blight on onion that is distinctly characterized by the two stages – leaf spotting followed by blighting. The pathogen is an ascomycete that belongs to the family Sclerotiniaceae in the order Helotiales. The lesions start out as whitish streaks and take on a yellow tinge as they mature. They cause yield losses up to 30%. This fungus is endemic to the USA and has also been reported in Europe, Asia, and Australia. Typical management of this disease includes chemical fungicides with significant efforts being made to establish a means of biological control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alternaria leaf spot</span> Fungal plant disease

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.

References

  1. Ascochyta Leaf Spots of Cereals and Grasses in the United States. Roderick Sprague and A. G. Johnson. Mycologia, Vol. 42, No. 4 (Jul. - Aug., 1950), pp. 523-553
  2. 1 2 Cereal Disease Encyclopedia
  3. Asochyta leaf spot. Krupinsky, J.M., Cline, E. 2010. Compendium of Wheat Diseases and Pests, 3rd Edition. Edited by W.W. Bockus, R.L. Bowden, R.M. Hunger, W.L. Morrill, T.D. Murray, and R.W. Smiley. American Phytopathological Society Press, St. Paul. p. 18-19
  4. USDA, Agricultural Research Service
  5. 1 2 Montana Wheat Production Guide
  6. http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?seq_no_115=193652, USDA, Agricultural Research Service.
  7. http://www.up.poznan.pl/pta/pdf/2013/FA%2030%281%29%202013%20Kosiada.pdf, Kosiada, Tomasz, and Lidia Irzykowska.
  8. Kutcher, H.R; Johnston, A.M; Bailey, K.L; Malhi, S.S (2011). "Managing crop losses from plant diseases with foliar fungicides, rotation and tillage on a Black Chernozem in Saskatchewan, Canada". Field Crops Research. 124 (2): 205. doi:10.1016/j.fcr.2011.05.018.
  9. http://extension.missouri.edu/p/IPM1029-4, University of Missouri Extension.
  10. http://www.scottslawnservice.com/sls/templates/index.jsp?pageUrl=slsascochyta, Scotts Lawn Service: Lawn Disease- Ascochyta.
  11. Colorado State University Extension. http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/02901.html