Plant Disease

Almond anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum spp. has become an increasing threat in modern almond orchards in Portugal. This study aimed to characterize the genetic, phylogenetic, morphological and virulence diversity of Colletotrichum species associated with symptomatic and asymptomatic almond tree organs collected in the main producing regions of Portugal. A total of 112 isolates were obtained…

Tsaoko stripe mosaic virus (TkSMV) has been identified as the predominant viral pathogen of Amomum tsaoko in Yunnan province of China. This virus induced various foliar symptoms including chlorosis, stripe mosaic and necrosis, while some infected A. tsaoko plants remain asymptomatic. Comprehensive investigation​ of the population genetic structure and molecular detection protocols for TkSMV is cr…

Aphanomyces root rot, caused by the soilborne oomycete Aphanomyces euteiches Drechs., is an important threat to legume crop production. In susceptible grain legumes, such as pea (Pisum sativum) and lentil (Lens culinaris), the disease can cause total yield loss under favorable infection conditions. No effective and durable method of disease control is currently available. Therefore, farmers are a…

Northern leaf blight (NLB) caused by Exserohilum turcicum and southern leaf blight (SLB) caused by Cochliobolus heterostrophus are devastating foliar diseases of maize. Although many quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with NLB and SLB resistance have been identified, only a few have been validated and fine-mapped. Here, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population consisting of 209 F 6:7 fami…

Cranberry fruit rot (CFR) has constrained commercial cranberry production since the mid-1800s and remains among the most economically significant diseases affecting the crop. Historically viewed as a disease caused by a limited number of fungal pathogens, CFR is now recognized as a complex, multiscale pathosystem involving diverse fungal taxa, latent infections, host developmental stage, and envi…

Alternaria alternata is an important fungal pathogen causing leaf spot and fruit rot diseases in a variety of crops, including sweet cherry. The development of resistance to fungicides, especially quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides, has emerged as a significant concern in managing cherry diseases. In this study, 109 A. alternata isolates collected from four geographic regions were screene…

Japanese honeysuckle (<i>Lonicera japonica</i>) is a non-native, invasive perennial vine that colonizes disturbed sites throughout the eastern and southern United States. Surveys for endemic pathogens of honeysuckle exhibiting weed biological control activity were conducted in Maryland in 2021, and an unknown fungal species was recovered from necrotic leaf spots. Based on morphological and DNA se…

Tar spot of maize, caused by the obligately biotrophic fungus Phyllachora maydis, has become an increasingly important constraint to maize production throughout the Americas. The inability to culture P. maydis on synthetic media has limited experimental research on its biology and pathogenicity. In this study, we developed a reproducible in vitro maintenance system that supports the survival and …

Analysis of French Poaceae pools collected in 2023 identified spartina mottle virus (SpMV, Phragmivirus spartinae) infection in green foxtail (Setaria viridis). RNASeq of two plants yielded near complete SpMV genomes and a complete barley yellow striate mosaic virus genome (BYSMV, Betacytorhabdovirus hordei). The novel SpMV genomes show only 79.3-80.4% nt identity with those of German and USA iso…

Paeonia, one of China’s traditional ornamental plants, is also an important medicinal species (Fan et al., 2024; Ma et al., 2024). Its cultivation originated in China, with the Chinese peony group being the only source of wild species in the genus Paeonia, including Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle, Paeonia mairei H. Lév., and Paeonia obovata Maxim. (Ma et al., 2024). Paeonia is also widely used as a…

Atractylodes macrocephala is a perennial medicinal herb widely cultivated in China, valued for its diverse pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antitumor, gastroprotective, and metabolic regulatory activities (Gu et al. 2020). In August 2025, a previously undescribed rhizome rot disease was observed in a cultivation field in Luyi County, Zhoukou City, Henan Province, China (33…

Carya cathayensis Sarg. is an economically important cultivated tree species in China, valued for its edible nuts (Li et al. 2023). Based on recent field investigations, Tuankou Town in Lin'an District has been identified as the region with the most severe incidence of root rot disease in C. cathayensis plantations across Zhejiang Province, where the plantations cover over 27 hectares with infect…

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.), a globally important legume and high-quality plant protein source (Jayathilake et al. 2018), is widely cultivated in arid and semi-arid tropical zones. In March 2025, a cowpea plantation in Chengmai County, Hainan Province, China (110.168808°E, 19.735978°N) showed unusual wilting, with over 30% disease incidence. Initial symptoms included irregular, dark bro…

Pseudoperonospora cannabina, the causal agent of downy mildew in Cannabis sativa, was first identified in New York in 2020. The pathogen causes angular brown lesions on foliar tissue and dark sporulation on the leaf underside, often leading to leaf curling, defoliation, and yield loss. To date, no sources of genetic resistance or effective chemical controls have been reported. In this study, 108 …

Triadica sebifera (L.) Small (Euphorbiaceae), commonly known as the Chinese tallow tree, is an endemic deciduous species of significant economic importance in China (Gao et al. 2016). In October 2023, leaf spot disease was observed on T. sebifera in the Longquan Mountain planting area (30.56°N, 104.27°E), Sichuan Province. Field surveys were performed across three representative planting plots, w…

Shorea assamica is an evergreen to semi-evergreen tree in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is widely distributed in China, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and other regions. In China, it is found in western Yunnan and southeastern Tibet. The species is valued for its aromatic white resin, which serves as an important chemical raw material (Ang and Maruyama 1997). In May 2025,…

Taraxacum mongolicum is valued both as a nutritious edible plant and a medicinal herb with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, and it is being explored as a potential natural antibiotic alternative in livestock farming (Wang et al. 2022). In September 2025, a field survey of root-knot nematodes was conducted in T. mongolicum cultivation gardens in Xuan'en County, Hubei Province, China…

Hami melon (Cucumis melo var. saccharinus) is designated as a geographical indication product in China due to its pleasant aroma, crisp texture, sweetness, and coloration (Zhu et al., 2021). In June 2024, approximately 50% (556 out of 1110) post-harvest Hami melons (cv. Xizhoumi 25), cultivated and stored in Turpan, Xinjiang, China (42.88°N, 90.22°E), exhibited initial symptoms of dark brown disc…

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) are a major global threat to viticulture, yet data on their etiology and epidemiology remain scarce in Serbia and Southeast Europe. This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with GTDs in Serbia, combining morphological characterization, temperature-growth assays, multilocus phylogenetic analyses (internal transcri…

Verticillium wilt on the invasive plant species, <i>Ailanthus altissima</i>, has been reported in Europe and USA. Symptoms of the disease in northeastern Spain were first observed in 2007, and it has progressively expanded within this region thereafter. In this work, ninety-two <i>Verticillium</i> isolates were recovered from diseased <i>Ailanthus</i> trees in four riparian-forested sites in the …