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Curvularia americana and C. tropicalis are described as causes of leaf and crown necroses on Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon x Cynodon transvaalensis) in Veneto, Northern Italy. These pathogens were characterized using morphological characters, and a multilocus molecular phylogenetic analysis based on the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, the partial glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gapdh) and translation elongation factor-1α (tef1-α) genes. Pathogenicity tests and the fulfilment of Koch’s postulates confirmed C. americana and C. tropicalis as foliar pathogens of Bermuda grass. This is the first report of C. americana and C. tropicalis as pathogens of Bermuda grass, and the first record these two fungi in Europe.

Sclerotinia homoeocarpa F.T. Bennett is one of the most important pathogens affecting high maintenance turfgrass in Italy. Control of this pathogen still relies on the use of fungicides. Twenty nine isolates of S. homoeocarpa collected from 13 different golf courses in northern and central Italy were tested in vitro for their sensitivity to propiconazole, tebuconazole and iprodione, fungicides registered for use on turfgrass in Italy. Three isolates from untreated turfgrasses were use as reference isolates. The tests were carried out on an agar medium amended with 0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.1, 0.3, 1, 3, 10, 30, 100, 300 µg mL–1 of the active ingredient of each fungicide. Most of the isolates showed reduced sensitivity to the tested fungicides, while maintaining their virulence when inoculated on potted Agrostis stolonifera L. Fungicide resistance in this pathogen has increased in Italy compared with the situation 10 years previously.