Identification and characterization of Pestalotiopsis spp. causing leaf spot of fishtail palm in India.

摘要

Infected leaves were collected from Chindgarh block during an extensive survey on fishtail palm (Caryota urens) of Dantewada district in Chattisgarh, India, in August 2009. The infected leaves were obtained from seedlings in a nursery (3-5 years old) and adult fishtail palm (5-8 years old) leaves. On the diseased leaves, the spots were characterized by small 2-4 mm to 5-8 cm long, yellow, brown to black, irregular shape with dark brown to black margin of lesion with brown centre spot. The leaf spot usually turned gray with a black outline. The spots expanded and increased in number until they merged to form leaf blight under optimum favourable conditions. These symptoms were similar to that caused by Pestalotiopsis sp. in coconut palm. Based on molecular and morphological data, the causal agent was identified as Pestalotiopsis sp. A perusal of literature revealed that the fungus has not been reported earlier on C. urense from India and abroad. Therefore, it constitutes a new record from India.