Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid is economically important fungal pathogen with wide host range. In this study we found morphological and phenotypical variation among isolates of the fungus infecting sunflower crop in Sindh province of Pakistan. Thirty two M. phaseolina isolates were obtained from infected plant samples of sunflower collected from different ten districts viz.,

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Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) can contract okra yellow vein mosaic disease (OYVMD) caused by Bhendi yellow vein mosaic virus (genus: Begomovirus and family: Geminiviridae), vectored by whitefly (Bemisia tabaci). This study was carried out to screen okra varieties for resistance to OYVMD and to determine the correlation of vector population with the severity of the disease. Six varieties namely, Tulsi, Durgah, Sabz Pari, Sarahariya, Ramaan Kirshna and Pooja were grown under field conditions at localities of Shahpur, Tando Adam and Peer Kathi during rabi (winter cropping) and kharif (summer cropping) seasons during 2016 and 2017, respectively. The first incidence percent of the disease was recorded in the 8th week during rabi and the 6th week during kharif growing season. The Tulsi variety remained disease-free during both growing seasons. A significantly lower disease incidence % was recorded in Sabz Pari (29.32%) and Sarahariya (30.09%) varieties than Durgah, Ramaan Kirshna and Pooja during the rabi growing season. Both varieties were disease-free during the kharif season. There was remarkable variation in disease severity recorded in okra varieties at different trials during rabi and kharif seasons using a 0-6 rating scale (i.e., 0 = The disease-free plants, 1 = 1-10 % vein clearing, 2 = 11-25 % vein yellowing of small leaves , 3 = 26-50 % yellow network on some leaves, 4 = 51-60 % yellow network on all leaves, 5 = 60-70 % complete leaves turn yellow or cream color and 6 = 70 % plant stunted, deformed and small fruit and whole plants becomes colorless). Whitefly appeared in the 5th week during the rabi and 4th week during the kharif growing seasons. Vector population during the rabi growing season was significantly higher than in the kharif season. There was a nonsignificant relationship between disease severity and whitefly population in Ramaan Kirshna, Sarahariya, and Sabz Pari varieties. The disease severity in the Pooja variety showed a significant relationship with vector population, but only in the Tando Adam trial (R2= 0.7455, P= 0.0084), whereas the Durgah variety showed a significant relationship between disease severity and vector population in Shahpur (R2= 0.6615, P= 0.0267) and Tando Adam trials (R2= 0.8235, P= 0.0018). The same variety showed a nonsignificant relationship between disease severity and vector population in the Peer Kathi trial. It is concluded that Sabz Pari and Tulsi varieties are resistant to the disease

Background: Altenaria species are posing major threat to vegetable crops nowadays, thus it is of utmost importance to identify its different species, so that potential control measures may be explored. Methods: The isolation and identification of different fungi was conducted from major Kharif vegetables, tomato, chilli and eggplant. Samples showing typical symptoms of fruit rot and leaf spot were collected from fields and then pathogens were isolated and identified at laboratory using standard procedures. Result: The total of 07 fungal species, Alternaria alternata, A. solani, Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, Fusarium oxysporum, Pencillium sp. and Rhizopus stolonifer isolated from tomato fruit rot. Similarly, 07 fungi viz; A. alternata, A. tenuissima, A. flavus, A. niger, Colletotrichum capisi, Penicillium sp. and R. stolonifer from chilli fruit rot and 06 fungi viz; A. alternata, A. flavus, A. niger, F. solani, Penicillium sp. and R. stolonifer from eggplant leaf spots were isolated. Significantly highest infection frequency was recorded for A. solani (48.83%) and A. tenuissima (44%) from tomato and chilli fruit rot, respectively. From eggplant leaf spot it was significantly highest for A. alternata (34.5%). Study concludes that 03 species, A. solani, A. tenuissima and A. alternata, dominantly damaged tomato, chilli fruits and eggplant leaves.