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Ascochyta hortorum (Speg.) Smith

Mycologia, DEUTEROMYCOTINA, SPHAEROPSIDALES, PHOMACEAE .

Crops attacked: artichoke .

[R]Common Names :

Leaf spot

In the Mediterranean area the disease has been reported in France, Italy, Greece, Israel, Tunisia, Morocco.

Identification, Description, Biology, Epidemiology, Treatement, Possible misleading, Images

[R]Identification
Detectable macroscopic aspects of the disease.
The fungus can be isolated and cultured on growth medium.
Pycnidia can be seen with a dissecting microscope.

[R]Description
Circular spots progressing in rings, with brownish or black marks on the leaves or on the external bracts of the capitulum which suffers important commercial loss. Conditions of high humidity may cause severe rot in the capitulum and the stem.
The death of the stem leads to the destruction of the whole crop.

[R]Biology
Polyphagic fungus with poor pathogenic specialization behaving as a wound parasite.
The leaf marks are small masses of sticky cirrhi-shaped conidia produced by the pycnidia.
When the vulnerable parts of the host are reached by the conidia the latter germinate producing hyphae which enter and invade the tissues.
Lesions facilitate the penetration of the parasite.
The fungus survives in the soil on crop debris.

[R]Epidemiology
Moderate temperature (15 -20 °C.) and relatively high RH are necessary conditions for the occurence of the disease.

[R]Treatement
Distroy or deep burry the debris of the previous crop as soon as possible.
Usually no special control measures are necessary.

[R]Possible misleading
.

[R] Images

To read this page in French

HYP3 on line : Species (scientific name), Diseases (common names), Glossary, Crops.

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