Neopestalotiopsis longiappendiculata as the agent of grey blight disease of Camellia spp.

Abstract

AbstractThe grey blight disease is a common disease of tea plants and camellias (Camellia spp.). It is caused by Pestalotiopsis‐like fungi, which were mostly identified as species of Pestalotiopsis and Pseudopestalotiopsis. In this study, four strains of Neopestalotiopsis were isolated from brown and grey‐white spots of leaves of Camellia oleifera and C. sasanqua in China. These strains belong to Neopestalotiopsis longiappendiculata and are characterized by morphology and multi‐loci phylogenetic analysis (ITS‐tef‐tub2). This is the first report of N. longiappendiculata as agent of grey blight disease on Camellia spp. Pathogenicity tests indicated that N. longiappendiculata infects not only Camellia oleifera and Camellia sasanqua but also Eucalyptus polyanthemos and Euonymus japonicas. Given the broad host range and pathogenic nature, it is time to focus on management aspect to control the disease.