Nigrospora sphaerica causing leaf spot, twig and shoot blight on blueberry: a new host of the pathogen.

WRIGHT, E.R; M. FOLGADO,; M.C. RIVERA; A. CRELIER; P.VASQUEZ; S. E. LOPEZ

PLANT DISEASE

APS Press

Lugar: St Paul . MN. USA; Año: 2008 vol. 92 p. 171 - 171

0191-2917

In surveys on blueberries,  leaf spots and twig and shoot blight has been observed on plants cultivated in Arrecifes, Mercedes, and San Pedro (provinces of Buenos Aires) and Concordia (province of Entre R¨ªos) since July 2004. Spots initially appear brown, circular, 1 to 2 mm in diameter, and irregularly distributed on the leaves and they eventually coalesce. Fruiting twig and shoot blight developed from the tips toward the base. Affected plants were of cvs. O´Neal and Reveille. Isolation from symptomatic plants originated colonies of Nigrospora sphaerica (Sacc.) Mason (1,4). Pathogenicity tests were posotive and the pathogen was reisolated from diseased tissues fulfilling Koch´s postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first reference of N. sphaerica as a wound pathogen of blueberry.