Abstract
A suspected fungal disease was observed on onion leaves during survey in onion fields of the central rift valley of Ethiopia in the offseason in 2019. The disease symptoms were round to oval small spots on onion leaves which coalesce to form blighted leaves that change to brown lesion and black sporulation with time. The disease was of high incidence (up to 95.2%) and severity (up to 4.67) where in some fields it has been causing early plant senescence and reduced bulb size during harvest with massive yield loss, named to be “Yeshinkurt Ebola” to mean “Ebola of onion” by farmers. Dirty white to light grey front colony color and light brown to deep brown reverse colony color with alternative white and brown band fungal growth were isolated from infected onion leaf samples. The conidia were olive brown, oval to ovoid, oblong and ovoid to oblong are born on conidiophores. Pathogenicity of the pathogen was confirmed on 45-days-old onion (cv. Nafis) plant, and it was identified as Stemphylium vesicarium based on cultural, morphological and pathogenic results. This is the first report of S. vesicarium, the causative agent of onion stemphylium leaf blight.
Highlights
Many small- and large-scale farmers in the main onion-producing areas of central rift valley of Ethiopia grow onion (Allium cepa L.)
A suspected fungal disease was observed on onion leaves during survey in onion fields of the central rift valley of Ethiopia in the offseason in 2019
This is the first report of S. vesicarium, the causative agent of onion stemphylium leaf blight
Summary
Many small- and large-scale farmers in the main onion-producing areas of central rift valley of Ethiopia grow onion (Allium cepa L.). Stemphylium vesicarium is considered as very disruptive disease, which can cause up to 90% yield losses on onion, Miller et al [17]; Tomaz and Lima [18]; Lorbeer [19], 60 - 90% yield loss on pear, Llorente and Montesinos [20], and complete spears loss on asparagus, Hausbeck et al [21]. Since 2018, a new disease symptom, which confuses with purple blotch disease, was observed in the central rift valley areas of Ethiopia. The survey covered the main onion producing areas in the central rift valley (CRV) of Ethiopia. Cultural and morphological characteristics of symptomatic onion leaf samples of the survey indicated the existence SLB disease (S. vesicarium)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
