Amodu Ayodele, Oliver Jonathan E, Lawrence Kathy, Patel Sejal, Koebernick Jenny, Patel Jinesh, Coneva Elina, Ru Sushan
Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, U.S.A.
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA 31793, U.S.A.
Plant Dis. 2025 Jun;109(6):1218-1228. doi: 10.1094/PDIS-07-24-1404-SR. Epub 2025 Jun 20.
Botryosphaeria stem blight is a fungal disease of blueberry caused by members of the Botryosphaeriaceae family that can lead to rapid wilting of leaves and stems, often resulting in significant yield loss and even plant death. Botryosphaeria stem blight is a major disease in Alabama; however, information on the distribution and causal pathogens for stem blight in Alabama is limited. This study surveyed blueberry farms in Alabama and nearby parts of Georgia and Mississippi to reveal the occurrence, species identities, and virulence of causal pathogens for Botryosphaeria stem blight. As part of this work, a total of 45 symptomatic blueberry samples were collected between 2021 and 2023. Phylogenetic analysis based on DNA sequences of the internal transcribed spacer, β-tubulin, and EF1-α genomic regions revealed that Botryosphaeriaceae (34%) was the most common family associated with disease samples, followed by Sporocadaceae (21%), Diaporthaceae (13%), Pleosporaceae (9%), and other families. Within Botryosphaeriaceae, and were the most common genera identified. Virulence testing on the blueberry cultivar Vernon using an attached-stem assay showed that isolates of , sp., sp., , and caused the longest lesion length 4 weeks after inoculation compared with isolates of other genera and species. Results of this study provide the latest information on the distribution, pathogenicity, and virulence of blueberry stem blight pathogens in Alabama and nearby states. Aggressive isolates identified in this study may be useful for screening blueberry cultivars for stem blight tolerance.
葡萄座腔菌茎枯病是一种由葡萄座腔菌科成员引起的蓝莓真菌病害，可导致叶片和茎迅速枯萎，常造成显著的产量损失，甚至植株死亡。葡萄座腔菌茎枯病是阿拉巴马州的一种主要病害；然而，关于阿拉巴马州茎枯病的分布和致病病原体的信息有限。本研究对阿拉巴马州以及佐治亚州和密西西比州附近地区的蓝莓农场进行了调查，以揭示葡萄座腔菌茎枯病致病病原体的发生情况、物种身份和毒力。作为这项工作的一部分，在2021年至2023年期间共采集了45个有症状的蓝莓样本。基于内部转录间隔区、β-微管蛋白和EF1-α基因组区域的DNA序列进行的系统发育分析表明，葡萄座腔菌科（34%）是与病害样本相关的最常见科，其次是球孢壳科（21%）、间座壳科（13%）、格孢腔菌科（9%）和其他科。在葡萄座腔菌科中，和是最常见的已鉴定属。使用茎附着测定法对蓝莓品种弗农进行的毒力测试表明，与其他属和种的分离株相比，、sp.、sp.、和的分离株在接种后4周引起的病斑长度最长。本研究结果提供了阿拉巴马州及附近各州蓝莓茎枯病病原体分布、致病性和毒力的最新信息。本研究中鉴定出的侵袭性分离株可能有助于筛选对茎枯病具有耐受性的蓝莓品种。
