Abstract
In May of 2004 through 2007, Leptosphaerulina leaf blight caused by Leptosphaerulina trifolii occurred on Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) at golf courses in Gangwon Province, Korea. Symptoms on the turfgrass caused by L. trifolii were leaf blights, dying from the leaf tip downwards to the crown, which appeared patches in the field because of local pockets of severely infected (blighted) grass. Perithecia were produced on old or weak leaves, including club-shaped asci, each of which contained 8 pale brown muriform ascospores with cross and longitudinal septa. Ascospores of the fungus isolated from the diseased leaf tissue and cultured on potato-dextrose agar (PDA) were muriform multicellular (composed of 3-6 cells) and <TEX>$23.4-40.5{\times}7.8-15.6{\mu}m$</TEX> in size with 3-4 transverse and 0-3 longitudinal septa, which were morphologically identical to L. trifolii reported previously. DNA sequences of ribosomal RNA gene (internal transcribed spacer) of the fungus were homologous with similarity of 99% to those of L. trifolii isolates in GenBank database, confirming the identity of the causal agent of the disease. Pathogenicity of the fungus was also confirmed on the creeping bentgrass by Koch's postulates. This is first report of Leptosphaerulina leaf blight on turfgrass caused by L. trifolii in Korea.
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