Gummy stem blight of balsam pear found in the Kanto district and in the Hokkaido Prefecture was demonstrated to be caused
by
Didymella bryoniae (Auerswald) Rehm based on inoculation experiments, molecular analysis, and morphological identification of the pathogenic
fungus. This fungus was also pathogenic to related plants belonging to Cucurbitaceae. The imperfect stage of the fungus was
identified as
Phoma cucurbitacearum (Fr.: Fr.) Sacc. based on morphological similarities.
Key words
Didymella bryoniae
- Gummy stem blight -
Momordica charantia
-
Phoma cucurbitacearum