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Pathogenicity of Stemphylium vesicarium from different hosts causing brown spot in pear

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Abstract

Stemphylium vesicarium (teleomorph: Pleospora herbarum) is the causal agent of brown spot disease in pear. The species is also able to cause disease in asparagus, onion and other crops. Saprophytic growth of the fungus on plant debris is common. The objective of this study was to investigate whether isolates of S. vesicarium from different hosts can be pathogenic to pear. More than hundred isolates of Stemphylium spp. were obtained from infected pear fruits, dead pear leaves, dead grass leaves present in pear orchard lawns as well as from necrotic leaf parts of asparagus and onion. Only isolates originating from pear orchards, including isolates from dead grass leaves, were pathogenic on pear leaves or fruits in bioassays. Non-pathogenic isolates were also present in pear orchards. Stemphylium vesicarium from asparagus or onion, with one exception, were not pathogenic to pear. Analysis of the genetic variation between isolates using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) showed significant concordance with host plants. Isolates from asparagus or onion belonged to clusters separate from the cluster with isolates from pear or grass leaves collected in pear orchards. Multilocus sequencing of a subset of isolates showed that such isolates were similar to S. vesicarium.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the support by P.-F. de Jong, Applied Plant Research, J. van Mourik, Centrale adviesdienst voor de Fruitteelt B.V. (CAF) and P.A.W.M. Aalbers, Fruit Consultancy (DLV) for providing samples of pears; M. Plentinger, Applied Plant Research, and J.M.B. Meulendijk DLV Plant (Akkerbouw) for providing samples of asparagus and P. Creemers, Gorsem, Belgium, for providing several cultures of Stemphylium spp.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Research International, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Jürgen Köhl, Belia Groenenboom-de Haas, Helen Goossen-van de Geijn, Adrianus Speksnijder & Pieter Kastelein

  2. Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, P.O. Box 85167, 3508 AD, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Sybren de Hoog & Bert Gerrits van den Ende

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  1. Jürgen Köhl
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  2. Belia Groenenboom-de Haas
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  3. Helen Goossen-van de Geijn
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  4. Adrianus Speksnijder
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  5. Pieter Kastelein
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  6. Sybren de Hoog
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  7. Bert Gerrits van den Ende
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Correspondence to Jürgen Köhl.

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Köhl, J., Groenenboom-de Haas, B., Goossen-van de Geijn, H. et al. Pathogenicity of Stemphylium vesicarium from different hosts causing brown spot in pear. Eur J Plant Pathol 124, 151–162 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-008-9402-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-008-9402-2

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