Morphological and molecular identification of Neopestalotiopsis mesopotamica causing tomato fruit rot

Abstract

Severe fruit rot symptoms were observed on tomato crop (Lycopersicon esculentum) located in Hamedan province of Iran, in spring 2014. Affected fruits showed gray to dark spot that expanded rapidly. A fungus was consistently isolated from infected fruits. On the basis of morphological and cultural characteristics, as well as the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region, β-tubulin and tef1 taxonomic markers, the fungus was identified as Neopestalotiopsis mesopotamica. This is the first report of tomato fruit rot caused by N. mesopotamica in Iran and the world.