Wan Gyu Kim

Morphology, Molecular Phylogeny and Pathogenicity of Colletotrichum panacicola Causing Anthracnose of Korean Ginseng

Colletotrichum panacicola isolates were obtained from anthracnose lesions of Korean ginseng and compared with four Colletotrichum species in morphology, molecular phylogeny and pathogenicity. Based on morphological characteristics, C. panacicola was easily distinguished from Colletotrichum gloeosporioides but not from Colletotrichum higginsianum, Colletotrichum destructivum and Colletotrichum coccodes. A phylogenetic tree generated from ribosomal DNA-internal transcribed spacer sequences revealed that C. panacicola is remarkably distinguished from C. gloeosporioides and C. coccodes but not from C. higginsianum and C. destructivum. However, molecular sequence analysis of three combined genes (actin + elongation factor-1α + glutamine synthatase) provided sufficient variability to distinguish C. panacicola from other Colletotrichum species. Pathogencity tests showed that C. panacicola is pathogenic to Korean ginseng but not to other plants. These results suggest that C. panacicola is an independent taxon distin-zguishable from C. gloeosporioides and other morphologically similar Colletotrichum species.

Occurrence of Clubroot in Cruciferous Vegetable Crops and Races of the Pathogen in Korea

Cruciferous vegetable crops grown in several locations in Korea were surveyed from 1996 to 2000. Clubroot severely occurred up to a maximum of 100％ in Chinese cabbage fields in 15 out of 42 locations, and in cabbage fields in 5 out of 13 locations surveyed. The disease also severely occurred up to a maximum of 40％ in radish fields in 6 out of 35 locations, and up to a maximum of 40% and 100％ in turnip and brown mustard fields in one each out of the few locations surveyed, respectively. The disease occurred less than l％ in one kale field in one out of two locations surveyed. A total of 268 isolates of Plasmodiophora brassicae was obtained from six cruciferous vegetable crops. The isolates were classified into 13 races based on their pathogenicity to the differential varieties of cabbage and rutabaga. There were 13 races found in isolates from Chinese cabbage, while 6 races each were found in isolates from cabbage and radish. There were five and three races found in turnip and brown mustard isolates, respectively. One isolate from kale was identified as race 8. Race 8 was the most frequently isolated from five cruciferous vegetable crops, except brown mustard. Races 3 and 14 were isolated only from Chinese cabbage.

Occurrence of Sclerotinia Rot on Composite Vegetable Crops and the Causal Sclerotinia spp.

Abstract Composite vegetable crops grown in greenhouses and open fields in Korea were surveyed from 1995 to 1999. Occurrence of Sclerotinia rot was observed in 123 of 277 lettuce fields, in 11 of 18 head lettuce fields, in 12 of 14 endive fields, and in 4 of 38 garland chrysanthemum fields surveyed during the growing seasons. The disease most severely occurred up to 80% on lettuce. Incidence of the disease was as high as 20% at its maximum on endive and garland chrysanthemum but relatively low on head lettuce. Symptoms of the disease developed on leaves of all the composites, crowns of lettuce and head lettuce, and stems of garland chrysanthemum. Out of 240 isolates of Sclerotinia species obtained from the diseased composites, 169 isolates were identified as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and the others as S. minor based on their morphological and cultural characteristics. S. sclerotiorum was isolated from all the composites, and S. minor only from lettuce and endive. Eight isolates of S. sclerotiorum and four isolates of S. minor were tested for their pathogenicity to the composites by artificial inoculation. All the isolates of the two Sclerotinia spp. induced rot symptoms on the plants of the composites by artificial inoculation, which were similar to those observed in the fields. The pathogenicity tests revealed that there is no significant difference in virulence of the isolates to the composites and in susceptibility of the composites to the isolates.

Identification and Distribution of Two Fungal Species Causing Sclerotial Disease on Mulberry Fruits in Korea

A total of 520 overwintered sclerotia were collected from surface of soil under mulberry trees in six locations in Korea during February in 2006 and 2007. The collected sclerotia were tested for their germination in vitro and identified based on their morphological characteristics. Out of all sclerotia tested, 523% of the sclerotia germinated and produced two types of apothecia. The two types of fungi occurred from the sclerotia at the ratio of 49.8 vs. 50.2. The fungal type with cup-shaped apothecia was identified as Ciboria shiraiana and another type of fungus with club-shaped apotheeia as Scleromitrula shiraiana. Taxonomy and distribution of the two sclerotial fungi were described and discussed.

Mating Types and Optimum Culture Conditions for Sexual State Formation of Fusarium fujikuroi Isolates.

Twenty-five isolates of Fusarium fujikuroi acquired from rice seeds and rice plants evidencing symptoms of Bakanae disease were evaluated to determine their mating types and characterize the formation of their sexual state. The mating types of the isolates were evaluated via multiplex PCR with the diagnostic primers of the mating-type (MAT) region: GFmat1a, GFmat1b, GFmat2c, and GFmat2d. Among the 25 isolates, 11 were identified as MAT-1 (male), and 14 as MAT-2 (female). Four MAT-1 isolates and three MAT-2 isolates were mated and cultured to evaluate the optimal culture conditions for the production of their sexual states. Among four tested media, 10% V8 juice agar proved optimal for the perithecial production of the isolates. The isolates also generated the largest numbers of perithecia when incubated at 23°C in alternating cycles of 12 hr fluorescent light and NUV fluorescent light and 12 hr darkness.

In Vitro Antagonistic Characteristics of Bacilli Isolates against Trichoderma spp. and Three Species of Mushrooms

Twenty isolates of Bacillus species obtained from livestock manure composts and cotton-waste composts were tested for their antagonistic effects in vitro against three green mold pathogens of mushrooms (Trichoderma harzianum, T. koningii, and T. viridescens). However, there exists a possibility Bacillus species may have antagonistic effects against mushrooms themselves, and thus the same 20 isolates were tested in vitro against three species of mushrooms (Flammulina velutipes, Lentinus edodes, and Pleurotus ostreatus). Of the 20 Bacillus species isolates tested, two inhibited mycelial growth of T. harzianum, seven that of T. koningii, and eight that of T. viridescens. Importantly, the bacterial isolates M27 and RM29 strongly inhibited mycelial growth of all the Trichoderma spp. isolates tested. The isolate M27 was subsequently identified as the most effective in inhibiting mycelial growth of all the Trichoderma species. Interesting results of the effect Bacillus isolates had upon the mushroom species followed. It was found that most Bacillus isolates except 5T33 at least somewhat inhibited mycelial growth of the three mushroom species or some of the mushrooms. Furhermore, the antagonistic effects of the bacterial isolates against the three species of mushrooms varied depending on the mushroom species, suggesting a role for mushroom type in the mechanism of inhibition. The bacterial isolates M27 and RM29 were identified as having the most antagonistic activity, inhibiting mycelial growth of all the Trichoderma spp. as well as mycelial growth of the three species of mushrooms. These results suggest that the bacterial isolates and their antagonistic effects on green mold pathogens should be further studied for their practical use for biological control of green mold in the growing room of the mushrooms.

Identification of Microdochium bolleyi Associated with Basal Rot of Creeping Bent Grass in Korea

Symptoms of basal rot occurred sporadically on creeping bent grasses growing at a golf course in Hampyeong, Korea in April 2007. Ten isolates of Microdochium sp. were obtained from leaves and crowns of the diseased bent grasses. All isolates were identified as Microdochium bolleyi based on morphological, cultural, and molecular characteristics. This is the first report on M. bolleyi associated with basal rot on creeping bent grass in Korea.

Occurrence of Sclerotinia Rot in Solanaceous Crops Caused by Sclerotinia spp.

Solanaceous crops grown in greenhouses and fields in Korea were surveyed from 1994 to 2000. Sclerotinia rot most severely occurred up to 60% in potato. Incidence of the disease was as high as 20% at its maximum in tomato and 5% in eggplant, but as low as less than 1% in red pepper Symptoms of Sclerotinia rot commonly developed on stems of the solanaceous crops but rarely on fruits of eggplant and tomato. A total of 169 isolates of Sclerotinia species was obtained from the diseased solanaceous crops. Out of the isolates, 165 isolates were identified as S. sclerotiorum, and the others as S. minor based on their morphological and cultural characteristics. S. sclerotiorum was isolated from all the solanaceous crops, while S. minor was only isolated from tomato. Eight isolates of S. sclerotiorum and two isolates of S. minor were tested for their pathogenicity to the solanaceous crops by artificial inoculation. All the isolates of the two Sclerotinia spp. induced rot symptoms on stems of the solanaceous crops tested, which were similar to those observed in the fields. The pathogenicity tests revealed that there was no significant difference in the susceptibility of the solanaceous crops to the isolates of S. sclerotiorum. However, in case of S. minor, the potato cultivar Sumi was relatively less susceptible to the pathogen.

Occurrence of Gray Mold on Blueberry Trees Caused by Botrytis cinerea in Korea

Gray mold symptoms were frequently observed on green twigs, blossoms, leaves, and fruits of blueberry trees grown in greenhouses in Cheongyang, Dangjin, Daejeon, and Jeju during disease survey in eight locations of Korea from 2007 to 2010. The disease symptoms were not observed in the fields of the other locations investigated. The disease incidence ranged 1~30% in the greenhouses investigated. A total of 27 single spore isolates of Botrytis species were obtained from the gray mold symptoms, and all the isolates were identified as Botrytis cinerea based on their morphological and cultural characteristics. Four isolates of the fungus were tested for pathogenicity to leaves of four varieties of blueberry trees by artificial inoculation with conidial suspensions. All the tested isolates caused gray mold symptoms on the leaves, which were similar to those observed in the greenhouses. This is the first report that B. cinerea causes gray mold of blueberry trees grown in greenhouses in Korea.

Occurrence of Anthracnose on Fruits of Asian Pear Tree Caused by Colletotrichum acutatum.

Anthracnose symptoms often occurred on fruits of Asian pear trees grown in Anseong, Naju, Seonghwan and Pyeongtaek in Korea during the harvesting period from 2000 to 2005. A total of 28 isolates of Colletotrichum sp. were obtained from the anthracnose symptoms. Ail the isolates were identified as Colletotrichum acutatum based on their morphological and cultural characteristics. Four isolates of the fungus were tested for pathogenicity to fruits of Asian pear tree by artificial inoculation. All the isolates induced anthracnose symptoms on the fruits by wound inoculation but not by unwound inoculation. The anthracnose symptoms induced by artificial inoculation were similar to those observed in the orchard. This is the first report of anthracnose of Asian pear tree caused by Colletotrichum acutatum.