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Preliminary survey revealed that 30–40% of Cavendish banana plants were affected with leaf spot disease. Diseased leaf samples were sterilized with 3% sodium hypochlorite solution for 2 min and cultured on PDA media at 25 °C for 15 days followed by microscopic examination. Combined morphological, cultural and microscopic examinations identified two causal agents designated here as BaFI-1 and BaFI-2. Further, BLASTn search using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequences of the isolates also revealed that BaIF-1 and BaFI-2 had 97.13% and 100% homology with Nigrospora sphaerica and Neocordana musae, respectively; which were already reported from Indian and Spanish region. Pathogenecity tests were conducted using 2 months old banana seedlings inoculated with isolated spores in the polyhouse, which addressed Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report confirming Nigrospora sphaerica and Neocordana musae to be the causal agents of leaf spot disease of Cavendish banana in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed at identification and characterisation of the wilting, leaf spot, stem canker and fruit-blight diseases of okra. Pathogen infected plant samples were sterilised with 2% sodium hychlorite solution for 20 mins and then cultured at 28 °C for 15 days followed by microscopic examination. Combined microscopic, morphological and cultural characteristics analyses identified the four okra fungal isolates (OFI) such as OFI-1, OFI-2, OFI-3 and OFI-4 as Fusarium oxysporum, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium chlamydosporum and Choanephora cucurbitarum, respectively. The isolates OFI-1, OFI-2, OFI-4 showed highest radial growth rates at 25 °C, pH 5 and 20% lactose containing media while it was sucrose for OFI-3. BLASTN search using the sequence of ITS regions revealed that OFI-1, OFI-2, OFI-3 and OFI-4 isolates had 98, 100, 97 and 100% homology with F. oxysporum, C. lunata, F. chlamydosporum and C. cucurbitarum, respectively. Pathogenicity tests were also confirmed by reproducing the disease symptoms in okra plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]