Occurrence of Black Dot of Potato Caused by Colletotrichum coccodes in Central Italy

Plant Disease
R BuonaurioC Cappelli

Abstract

Between 1997 and 2000, black dot of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), caused by the polyphagous soilborne fungus Colletotrichum coccodes (Wallr.) Hughes, was observed each summer in fields located in Umbria (central Italy). Disease incidence ranged from 50 to 100%, and early potato cultivars were generally more susceptible than late-maturing ones. Disease symptoms were first observed during August as a yellowing and wilting of foliage in the tops of plants, followed by rotting of the roots and stems, which led to the premature death of 50 to 70% of plants. Setose1 sclerotia (300 to 500 mm in diameter) and acervuli of the fungus were found on roots and stems of infected plants. Acervuli produced hyaline, aseptate, cylindrical conidia (16 to 22 × 2.5 to 4.5 μm) formed on unicellular cylindrical phialidic conidiophores. The fungus was isolated from diseased stems and roots on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at pH 6.5. Pathogenicity of the fungus was confirmed by fulfilling Koch's postulates using 3- to 4-week-old potato plants of a local cultivar. A superficial 5-mm vertical cut was made with a scalpel into the base of potato stems (2 cm beneath the soil surface), and 5-mm-diameter plugs of PDA alone (control plants) or PDA plus fungal gr...Continue Reading

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