Planf Dis. 96:458, 2012; published online as http://dx.doi.org/I0.1094/PDlS-07-ll-0620. Accepted for publicafion 10 December 2011.In June 2011, sympfoms of posfbarvest rot were observed on approximafely 3% of all cherries collected from commercial orchards of culfivars Lapen and Ferrovia in fbe prefectures of Imathia and Pella (northern Greece). Fruif were harvesfed in a timely manner fo avoid overripeness. No wounds or ofher predisposing injuries were observed on the infected fruits. Lesions enlarged rapidly and separated easily from healfhy fissue when pressure was applied. Infecfed fissues were pale and wafer soaked and fhe associafed fungal spores were dark and powdery and easily liberated when mature. The fungus grew rapidly and produced black colonies on acidified pofafo dexfrose agar (2.5 ml of 85% lacfic acid per lifer of nufrienf medium) affer 5 days at 24°C. Identification of fhe pafhogen was based on morphological characferistics (1). Tbe conidial head was radiate, vesicles were nearly spherical and covered with metulae and phialides (biseriafe). Conidia were globose (3 fo 5 pm in diamefer) and usually very rough with irregular ridges, bars, and verrueae. Koch's posfulafes were completed in fhe laborafory by inoculating mature cherry fruifs (cv. Lapen). The fruifs were surface sferilized by dipping in 10% chloride bleach solufion, allowed to dry in a laminar flow hood, and wounded wifh a sharp glass rod fhaf was 2 mm in diamefer. A 40-|al drop of a suspension confaining 20,000 conidia per ml of water was placed on eacb wound. There were 20 inoculated and 20 confrol fruits (similarly wounded and inoculated with a 40-nl drop of sterile disfilled wafer) in a randomized design and incubafed af 24 fo 26°C for 6 days. Koch's posfulafes were satisfied after reisolafing the fungus from inoculafed fruif that developed symptoms similar to those observed on fruif collecfed from orchards. Confrol fruifs did nof show any sympfom of the disease. To our knowledge, this is fbe firsf reporf of the occurrence of Aspergillus niger as the causal agenf of postharvest rots of cherries in Greece. Posfharvest fruif rofs caused by A. niger have been reported in cherry orchards of other countries around the world (2). Because fhis disease causes postharvesf rots of cherry fruits, measures may need to be implemented to manage the pathogen.

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