First report of Curvularia blight of zoysiagrass in the United States

Curvularia species are ubiquitous and are typically considered to be secondary pathogens or saprophytes. A foliar blight of zoysiagrass has been observed in NC since 2002. The disease is most active when temperatures are 21C to 30C. Leaves initially exhibit small, brown spots with dieback from the t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Phytopathology 2008-06, Vol.98 (6), p.S208-S208
Main Authors: Roberts, JA, Tredway, L P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Curvularia
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Summary:Curvularia species are ubiquitous and are typically considered to be secondary pathogens or saprophytes. A foliar blight of zoysiagrass has been observed in NC since 2002. The disease is most active when temperatures are 21C to 30C. Leaves initially exhibit small, brown spots with dieback from the tips, followed by blighting of irregular patches 15 cm in diameter. Microscopic analysis revealed Curvularia conidia consistently associated with the disease. Twenty-one Curvularia isolates were obtained from 6 locations. Analysis of ITS rDNA sequences indicated isolates were most closely related to C. lunata and C. pallescens, and spore morphology was consistent with C. lunata. Pots of 'Emerald' and 'El Toro' zoysiagrass were inoculated with one of five C. lunata isolates in a greenhouse at 26C. Isolates varied in aggressiveness, inducing symptoms in 1 to 3 weeks. Continued disease progress resulted in blighting similar to that observed in the field. This is the first report of Curvularia blight of zoysiagrass in the United States, it was previously reported in Japan, where it is called 'dog footprint'.
ISSN:0031-949X