Characterisation of Neoscytalidium dimidiatum causing leaf blight on Sansevieria trifasciata in Malaysia

Abstract

Sansevieria trifasciata showing symptoms of leaf blight were observed in several states of Malaysia. Based on morphology and DNA sequences of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region, nine isolates of Neoscytalidium dimidiatum were identified. Phylogenetic analysis grouped the isolates of N. dimidiatum from S. trifasciata with the epitype of Neoscytalidium dimidiatum (CBS499.66) from mango. Pathogenicity test showed that all isolates of N. dimidiatum caused leaf blight on S. trifasciata and fulfilled Koch's postulates.Keywords Neoscytalidium dimidiatum . Leaf blight . Sansevieria trifasciata . ITS Sansevieria trifasciata, commonly known as mother-in-law's tongue, is a popular ornamental plant that can be found throughout Malaysia. Besides its attractive dark and light green variegation, S. trifasciata is tolerant to a wide variety of habitats. Sansevieria trifasciata were reported to be infected by Colletotrichum sansevieriae (Nakamura et al. 2006) and Chaetomella sp. (Li et al. 2013) associated with anthracnose and leaf spot, respectively. In 2015, another disease symptom, leaf blight was observed on S. trifasciata in several states of Malaysia. Scytalidium-like fungal isolates were recovered during preliminary fungal isolation from the samples.During September 2015 and March 2017, diseased S. trifasciata with symptoms of leaf blight were collected from Penang and three other Malaysian states, namely Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Sarawak. Symptomatic samples were cut into approximately 1.5 cm 2 fragments and surface sterilised in 70% ethanol (C 2 H 5 OH) solution and 1% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) solution for 3 min each. Then, the samples were rinsed thrice in sterile distilled water for 1 min each before being plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 25 ± 3°C for 3 to 5 days. Pure cultures were obtained by transferring a single conidium from the colony grown from surface sterilised samples onto fresh PDA and incubated as described previously. A mycelial plug 6 mm in diameter taken from a 7-days-old culture was transferred onto a PDA plate. The growth rate was recorded by measuring the colony diameter daily until the mycelia fully covered the plate. The isolates were cultured on 2% water agar (WA) overlaid with sterilised horsetail twigs (Casuarina equisetifolia) and carnation leaves, then were incubated as described previously to induce pycnidia formation. Measurements of 50 randomly selected conidia from pycnidia and arthrospores were taken.

Identification, pathogenicity and histopathology of Colletotrichum sansevieriae causing anthracnose of Sansevieria trifasciata in Malaysia

“…The pathogens were comprised of C. neosansevieriae, Chaetomella sp., Lasiodiplodia sp., Neoscytalidium dimidiatum and Stemphylium sp. (Li et al 2013;Crous et al 2015;Kee et al 2017;Ahmadpour and Poursafar 2018;Kee et al 2018Kee et al , 2019.…”

First report of Fusarium concentricum causing fruit blotch on roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

“…PCR amplifications of TEF1-α and mtSSU rDNA were carried out using primers pairs of EF1/EF2 (O'Donnell et al 1998a) and MS1/MS2 (White et al 1990). The amplification was carried out in a total volume of 50 μl PCR mixture as described by Kee et al (2017). The PCR reactions for TEF1-α and mtSSU were performed in a MyCycler™ Thermal Cycler (Bio-rad, Hercules, CA, USA) by following conditions as suggested by Kee et al (2019) and Laurence et al (2012), respectively.…”

Curvularia asianensisandCurvularia eragrostidisassociated with leaf spot ofSansevieria trifasciatain Malaysia

“…Sansevieria trifasciata was documented as the host of several fungal pathogens including Neoscytalidium dimidiatum , Stemphylium vesicarium , Lasiodiplodia spp. and Colletotrichum sansevieriae (Ahmadpour & Poursafar, 2018; Aldaoud, DeAlwis, Salib, Cunnington, & Doughty, 2011; Kee, Suhaimi, Zakaria, & Mohd, 2017; Kee et al, 2019). Besides, leaf spot of S. trifasciata was reported to be caused by several pathogens, namely C. neosansevieriae , Chaetomella and Stemphylium lycopersici (Crous et al, 2015; Kee, Zakaria, & Mohd, 2018; Li, Zhou, Lu, & Ye, 2013).…”