Search

In July 2020, a blight disease on lemon balm plants was observed with an incidence of up to 10% in three fields in Sanliurfa 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.

In 2020, a canker disease with dieback of branches and decline of various fig trees in Şanlıurfa and Mardin provinces of Turkey was observed. The causal pathogen was identified as Neoscytalidium dimidiatum based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of ITS, tef1, and tub2 loci. Koch’s postulates were confirmed by successful re-isolation of N. dimidiatum only from plants inoculated with the pathogen. This is the first report of N. dimidiatum associated with dieback and canker of common fig in Turkey.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) is a valuable medicinal and aromatic plant in Turkey, with a cultivated area of 2,218 hectares in 2020 (TURKSTAT 2021). In June 2020, wilting, extensive stem and leaf blight or necrosis were observed in two-year-old lavender plants cultivated in the experimental felds of the GAP Agricultural Research Institute, Şanlıurfa, Turkey.

In July 2020, a leaf blight disease with intense defoliation on Turkish oregano (Origanum onites L.) plants was observed in a pilot experiment feld in Akçakale and a commercial feld in Haliliye with an incidence of 5.4 and 11.7%, respectively, in Şanlıurfa province. After a surface-sterilization for 1 min with 1% NaOCl, isolations from symptomatic tissues of six afected plants for each feld consistently yielded a fungus with the same colony morphology on potato dextrose agar. Cultures were powdery with a thick aerial mycelium, initially white that changed from olive green to black within 10 days.

Common sage (Salvia officinalis L.) is a perennial herb or sub-shrub native to the eastern Mediterranean. In July 2020, symptoms of chlorosis, wilting, and root rot appeared in 25% of two-year-old S. officinalis cv. Elif plants in two fields (N 36°53'42.457'', E 38°55'34.777''; N 36°53'27.236'', E 38°55'38.618'') in Şanlıurfa, Turkey.

In this study, surveys were carried out during 2015and 2016 for wilt and root rot diseasescaused by Rhizoctonia solani, Macrophomina phaseolina, Fusarium oxysporum, and Fusarium solani in pepper fields in Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Mardinand Şanlıurfa provinces of Turkey. The purpose of this study was to evaluatethe effects of different inoculationmethods (root dip, soil infestation with wheat bran and soil infestation withrice grain) on pathogenicities of R.solani, M. phaseolina, F. oxysporum and F. solani on pepper seedlings. Inoculated pepper seedlings (cv.İnan-3363) were left to grow for three months after transplanting under growthchamber conditions. Inoculation of infective rice-grain was used to testpathogenicity of all four fungi. Root dip inoculation methodwas used for F.solani and F.oxysporum when the soil was infested withwheat bran method for R. solani and M.phaseolina inoculation. All tested isolates resulted in the stem and rootrot, leaf chlorosis and bruising. To test the pathogenicity of fungi, soilinfestation with rice grain inoculation was the most suitable method. Alltested fungi induced similar foliarsymptoms, root rot severity and caused a similar reduction in dry root weightswhen rice-grain inoculum was used. With other inoculation methods, allpathogens similarly affected root rot severity. Whereas, F. oxysporum was the least virulent pathogen among tested fungiaffecting foliar symptom severity; for freshroot and plant weights, and dry root and plant weights; R. solani, M. phaseolina and F. solani were similarly virulent whenthese parameters were used. The results of the present study may have a useful connotation to monitor pepper seedlingsagainst these pathogens. In conclusion,we recommend rice-grain inoculation to test pathogenicities of R. solani, M. phaseolina, F. oxysporum and F. solanion various peppercultivars., In this study, surveys were carried out during 2015 and 2016 for wilt and root rot diseases caused by Rhizoctonia solani, Macrophomina phaseolina, Fusarium oxysporum, and Fusarium solani in pepper fields in Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Mardin and Şanlıurfa provinces of Turkey. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of different inoculation methods (root dip, soil infestation with wheat bran and soil infestation with rice grain) on pathogenicities of R. solani, M. phaseolina, F. oxysporum and F. solani on pepper seedlings. Inoculated pepper seedlings (cv. İnan-3363) were left to grow for three months after transplanting under growth chamber conditions. Inoculation of infective rice-grain was used to test pathogenicity of all four fungi. Root dip inoculation method was used for F. solani and F. oxysporum when the soil was infested with wheat bran method for R. solani and M. phaseolina inoculation. All tested isolates resulted in the stem and root rot, leaf chlorosis and bruising. To test the pathogenicity of fungi, soil infestation with rice grain inoculation was the most suitable method. All tested fungi induced similar foliar symptoms, root rot severity and caused a similar reduction in dry root weights when rice-grain inoculum was used. With other inoculation methods, all pathogens similarly affected root rot severity. Whereas, F. oxysporum was the least virulent pathogen among tested fungi affecting foliar symptom severity; for fresh root and plant weights, and dry root and plant weights; R. solani, M. phaseolina and F. solani were similarly virulent when these parameters were used. The results of the present study may have a useful connotation to monitor pepper seedlings against these pathogens. In conclusion, we recommend rice-grain inoculation to test pathogenicities of R. solani, M. phaseolina, F. oxysporum and F. solanion various pepper cultivars.