Naho Yamagishi

Anthracnose of sweet pepper caused by Colletotrichum scovillei in Japan

Severe fruit rot of sweet pepper was found in Shimane, Hyogo, Chiba, Toyama, and Nagano prefectures, Japan from 2005 to 2011. Dark, sunken spots with concentric rings of orange conidial masses appeared on fruits. Pathogenic isolates from diseased fruits in the prefectures were identified as Colletotrichum scovillei. This species was added to the pathogens of sweet pepper anthracnose in Japan. The representative isolate was pathogenic to sweet pepper, tomato and chili pepper fruits, kidney bean pod, azuki bean, pea and strawberry leaves, but a caused no symptoms on cucumber or carrot in inoculation tests.

Bacterial brown spot on Avena storigosa Schereb. caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. alisalensis

Avena storigosa Schereb. (bristle oat) is used as a green manure in crop rotations and as an antagonist of nematodes in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. In 2011, necrotic, brown, water-soaked lesions were observed on young bristle oat plants. A pathogenic bacterium was isolated from symptomatic leaves of infected plants and produced the same symptoms after inoculation. Bacteriological properties of the bacterial isolates from bristle oat matched those of Pseudomonas syringae pathovars. The host range of the bristle oat isolates was identical to that of P. syringae pv. alisalensis. This is the first report of bristle oat disease caused by P. syringae pv. alisalensis.

Black spot disease of alstroemeria caused by Alternaria alstroemeriae in Japan

A black spot disease on cultivated alstroemeria was found in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, in January 2008. The causal fungus isolated from the diseased plants was morphologically identified as Alternaria alstroemeriae E.G. Simmons & C.F. Hill. An inoculation test with the isolated fungus demonstrated that the disease is caused by this species. This is the first report of black spot on alstroemeria (kokuhan-byo, in Japanese) caused by A. alstroemeriae in Japan.

Ascospores of the Japanese pear scab fungus (Venturia nashicola Tanaka & Yamamoto) are discharged during the day

We investigated the diurnal pattern of ascospore discharge of the Japanese pear scab fungus (Venturia nashicola Tanaka & Yamamoto) in an orchard. Ascospores of V. nashicola were mainly discharged during the day. Most ascospores were discharged from 7:00 to 19:00: 99.6% in 2001, 99.3% in 2002, and 93.8% in 2005. Because the ascospores were discharged only when the fallen diseased leaves were wet from precipitation, the wetness of these leaves is probably imperative for spore discharge. Ascospore discharge began immediately after precipitation in the daytime. When it rained at night, however, ascospore discharge did not begin until the following morning and never began immediately after precipitation. We also investigated other meteorological factors. When fallen diseased leaves were wet, the percentage of ascospore discharge was positively correlated with the amount of solar radiation and atmospheric temperature and negatively correlated with relative humidity. Ascospore discharge was interrupted by a decrease in solar radiation and atmospheric temperature and by increased relative humidity at night. This report is the first that V. nashicola discharges ascospores primarily during the day.

Anthracnose of black locust caused by Colletotrichum nymphaeae (Passerini) Aa

Brown spots were found on leaves of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, in August 2011. A fungus isolated from the diseased leaves reproduced the symptoms after inoculation, and was re-isolated from the lesions. The pathogen was identified as Colletotrichum nymphaeae based on morphological and molecular analyses. This is the first report of C.nymphaeae as a pathogen of anthracnose of black locust in Japan.

Studies on disease cycle and control of celery stunt anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum nymphaeae

Celery seedlings are grown in greenhouse nurseries. Celery producers work to keep pathogen-free conditions to grow healthy seedlings in nurseries by thoroughly removing debris of diseased plants, sterilizing soils and cultivating materials, etc. Although there seems to be a very low possibility that the pathogen remains in the nurseries, seedlings were attacked by the fungus in nursery greenhouses kept warmer than usual. This finding led us to assume that celery seeds may be contaminated with the pathogen. Additional lines of circumstantial evidence suggest that this disease may have spread through seed transmission of the pathogen. Almost all celery producers in the major area in Nagano Prefecture had used celery seeds that were harvested by several farmers producing seeds in the area and storing them for more than 1 year. Around 2006, however, farmers began to use seeds collected in the previous year due to the shortage of stored seeds. Concomitantly, an outbreak of celery stunt anthracnose occurred. In addition, this disease is most prevalent in an area where so-called “home-raised” seeds are used. We therefore hypothesized that C. nymphaeae has spread through seed transmission. To test this hypothesis, we divided the possible infection cycle into the following three steps, and tested each one: (1) primary infection from conidia produced on infected seeds to plant leaves, (2) secondary infection from conidia dispersed from infected leaves to leaves of other plants, and (3) infection of seeds from conidia produced on infected leaves. All results strongly suggested that infested seeds provide the source of the primary Celery [Apium graveolens var. dulce (Mill.) Pers.] is native to high-altitude marshlands of Europe and the Middle East and is also widely cultivated as a vegetable. Cultivars improved and grown in the United States originated from a cultivar grown in Japan in Nagano Prefecture, a major area for celery production in Japan. A new disease causing severe chlorotic spots on leaves, stunting, and dwarfing with leaf curl was found on celery in the prefecture. We found the disease in Nagano, Japan and identified its causal agent. We also elucidated its infection cycle to establish a practical method for controlling the disease.

Erratum to: Bacterial brown spot on Avena storigosa Schereb. caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. alisalensis

Abstract Avena storigosa Schereb. (bristle oat) is used as a green manure in crop rotations and as an antagonist of nematodes in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. In 2011, necrotic, brown, water-soaked lesions were observed on young bristle oat plants. A pathogenic bacterium was isolated from symptomatic leaves of infected plants and produced the same symptoms after inoculation. Bacteriological properties of the bacterial isolates from bristle oat matched those of Pseudomonas syringae pathovars. The host range of the bristle oat isolates was identical to that of P. syringae pv. alisalensis. This is the first report of bristle oat disease caused by P. syringae pv. alisalensis.