First report of Neoscytalidium dimidiatum causing blight of Melissa officinalis in Turkey

Abstract

In July 2020, a blight disease on lemon balm plants was observed with an incidence of up to 10% in three fields in Şanliurfa province, Turkey. The causal agent was identified as Neoscytalidium dimidiatum based on macro- and micro-morphological features of the colonies and sequencing of the translation elongation factor 1-α gene and the internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA. Re-isolation of N. dimidiatum from lemon balm plants showing blight symptoms was successfully established. To our knowledge, this is the first report of N. dimidiatum causing blight on lemon balm in Turkey and worldwide.