Plant Pathology (2021) 70, 2034-2045

Cong-Hao Wang, Wen-Jing Shang, Qiang Wang, San-Hong Fan, Krishna V. Subbarao, Xiang-Ming Xu and Xiao-Ping Hu (2021)
White rot of Panax quinquefolius caused by Sclerotinia nivalis
Plant Pathology 70 (9), 2034-2045
Abstract: American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), one of the most well-known araliaceous perennial herbs, suffered from root rots and mortality in 2020 in Taibai County, Shaanxi Province, China, leading to 40%–60% yield losses. The diseased plants initially showed unevenly yellowing foliage, and yellow-brownish, water-soaked roots with internal softening. Subsequently, white fluffy mycelia manifested on the surface of diseased P. quinquefolius roots, followed by the appearance of black irregular sclerotia-like bodies. In this study, a fungal isolate (SS-TB, GenBank no. MT830866) was obtained from the infected roots. Based on the culture morphology, pathogenicity tests and phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, this isolate was identified as Sclerotinia nivalis. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth and sclerotial production was 20 °C and 15 °C, respectively; the optimum pH for mycelial growth and sclerotial production was pH 6.0. This isolate grew faster and produced more sclerotia on potato dextrose agar than on other media. It infected ginseng roots with or without wounds, but inoculation of wounded roots led to more severe disease. S. nivalis also infected 43 of the 48 plant species tested, including vegetables, fruits, oil crops, and flowering plants from Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Solanaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Brassicaceae, Apiaceae, Rosaceae, Liliaceae, Chenopodiaceae, and Orchidaceae. It was nonpathogenic on Triticum aestivum, Zea mays, Anemone vitifolia, Ipomoea batatas, and Vaccinium sp. This study is the first report of S. nivalis causing white rot on P. quinquefolius.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Krishna V. Subbarao, Xiaoping Hu

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Sclerotinia nivalis	Ginseng (Panax)	China (NE)