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Title: PHOMOPSIS AMYGDALI CAUSES PEACH SHOOT BLIGHT OF CULTIVATED PEACH TREES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES.

Author
item Farr, David
item Castlebury, Lisa
item Schultheiss, Rebecca

Submitted to: Mycological Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: A fungus in the genus Phomopsis causes a shoot blight disease on cultivated peach trees in both Europe and the eastern United States. The specific fungus causing this disease has been confused because it was not known if the fungus in the United States was the same as the one in Europe. This also caused a problem for plant quarantine officials in deciding whether to oallow peach germplasm from Europe into the United States. Molecular and morphological data were used to determine the identity of these fungi. The research will be used by peach growers, extension agents, and plant pathologists to know which Phomopsis is causing a wilt disease of peaches and by plant quarantine officials to determine if peach germplasm from outside the United States that may be infected with an exotic fungus can be allowed into the country.

Technical Abstract: Phomopsis shoot blight of peach is becoming a common fungal disease in southeastern peach growing areas of the United States. A similar type of disease has been reported from Europe where it occurs on both peach and almond. Strains were obtained from peach, asian pear and plum in the United States and from almond in Spain. Examination of these strains by morphological, cultural and molecular characteristics showed that the fungus in almond and peach in Europe is the same as the fungus found on peach in the U.S. The fungus on plum and asian pear in the United States is different from the peach fungus.