Identification, Characterization, and Pathogenicity of Fungi Associated with Strawberry Fruit Rot in Shandong Province, China.

China is the largest strawberry producer and exporter worldwide and has been constantly challenged by fruit rot diseases in recent years. Symptoms of various diseases on strawberry fruits were observed in Huangqiyuan Base, an important strawberry-producing region in Shandong Province, and symptomatic samples were collected from January to April 2021 for follow-up studies. In the present study, 137 isolates were obtained and classified into nine species based on morphological characteristics and multilocus phylogenetic analysis (ITS, , , , , , , and/or ), namely, , , , , , , , , and . Pathogenicity results suggested that all nine pathogenic species could induce fruits to exhibit symptoms similar to those naturally infected in fields. The symptoms around the inoculation points varied, including dense white mycelia caused by spp., fading and depression caused by spp., black-brown rot caused by spp., and shrinkage and dehydration caused by spp. Overall, was the dominant pathogen, accounting for 61.3% of the total isolates, and showed significantly higher virulence against strawberry fruits than other species. In addition, this is the first report to identify , . , , . , , , and as causal agents of strawberry fruit rot in Shandong Province, China.