N 11(2): 767-768, 2016 www.thebioscan.com Save Nature to Survive NEW RECORD OCCURRENCE OF PHAEOPHLEOSPORA LEAF BLIGHT OF EUC AL YPTUS IN HIMA CHAL PRADESH EUCAL ALYPTUS HIMACHAL SUNITA CHANDEL* AND VIJAY KUMAR Department of Plant Pathology, Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, - 173 230, H.P., INDIA e-mail: schandelmpp@yahoo.co.in KEYWORDS ABSTRACT Phaeophleospora spp Eucalyptus Conidia A study on occurrence and distribution of Phaeophleospora leaf blight of Eucalyptus was conducted at Solan district of Himachal Pradesh during August, 2015 to September, 2015. On the basis of morphological characteristics the fungus, the fungus is identified as Phaeophleospora epicoccoides, which produces symptoms like purplish brown angular or rectangular lesion and superficial black colour mass on upper surface of the leaves. Spores of P. epicoccoides are cylindrical or slightly club-shaped with rough walls and variable numbers of septa often more than four, whose average conidial size is 35.72 x 3.32 µm and average pycnidia size is 66.2 x 37.6 µm. Received on : 05.11.2015 Accepted on : 26.03.2016 *Corresponding author Pradesh and monitoring its occurrence, so that in future this disease could be remain in manageable level. INTRODUCTION Eucalyptus are highly favoured plantation species as they are fast growing and easy to cultivate. The timber is an important source of fibre to the international pulp and paper industry. Ecalyptus are also used for the control of various weeds, tolerant to air pollution, insects pests and plant fungal diseases (Vaid et al., 2010; Thakur and Mishra, 2010 and Bisht et al., 2013). A number of foliar plant pathogens have been reported to impact on yields in plantations of eucalypt species in Asia including Mycosphaerella spp., Phaeophleospora spp., Cryptosporiopsis spp. and Cylindrocladium spp. (Old et al., 2003, Barber, 2004). Six Phaeophleospora species are known to cause leaf blight disease on eucalyptus; P. delegatensis, P. lilianiae, P. epicoccoides, P. eucalypti and P. destructans and the newly described P. toledana (Crous 1998, Crous et al., 2004). Out of these, P. delegatensis, P. lilianiae and P. toledana are limited in their distribution, while P. epicoccoides, P. eucalypti and P. destructans are considered major eucalyptus pathogens (Wingfield et al., 1996, Park et al., 2000, Hood et al., 2002). These fungi are anamorphs of Mycosphaerella, although the teleomorph may be unusual or not yet recognised. They are distinguished by their formation of pigmented columns (cirrhi) or irregular aggregations of conidia, often on the abaxial surfaces of leaves, exuding from substomatal pycnidia. Phaeophleospora epicoccoides, P. eucalypti and P. destructans all cause leaf blights and discoloration of the lower crowns that leads to premature defoliation, reduced growth and vigour, and in some instances, tree death within plantations (Park et al., 2000). Objective of this study is to know the occurrence of the Phaeophleospora leaf blight of eucalyptus in Himachal MATERIALS AND METHODS The presence of Phaeophleospora epicoccoides during continuous survey from August, 2015 to September, 2015 of different regions in district Solan of Himachal Pradesh has been reported. The infected leaves of the Eucalyptus tree were taken and bring to the laboratory for microscopic analysis. Morphological characteristics the fungus was studied with help of light microscope and conidial and pycnidial size was measured with micrometry (Burgess et al., 2006). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In Himachal pradesh, Phaeophleospora epicoccoides infected young growing shoots of eucalyptus trees, resulting in severe dieback and loss of apical growth. This fungus produces purplish brown angular or rectangular lesion and superficial black colour mass on upper surface of the leaves as shown in figure B (Sharma and Mohanan, 1981). A large amount of inoculums are produced on leaves which are survived on fallen leaves and spores are likely to dispersed in humid environment. Phaeophleospora epicoccoides is a common nursery pathogen and spread with infected planting material. Phaeophleospora epicoccoides is found predominantly on ageing leaves and it causes early leaf drop. Different species of Phaeophleospora are distinguished by their conidial morphology. Spores of P. epicoccoides are cylindrical or slightly club-shaped with rough walls and variable numbers of septa often more than four, whose conidial size varies from 767 SUNITA CHANDEL AND VIJAY KUMAR Figure B: Heavy sporulation of Phaeophleospora epicoccoides Figure A: Multiseptate conidia of Phaeophleospora epicoccoides First report of phaeophleospora destructans in china. J.Tropical Forest Science. 18(2): 144-146. Crous, P. W. 1998. Mycosphaerella spp. and their Anamorphs Associated with Leaf Spot Diseases of Eucalyptus. APS Press, Minnesota. Crous, P. W., Groenewald, J. Z., Mansilla, J. P., Hunter, G. C. and Wingfield, M. J. 2004. Phylogenetic reassessment of Mycosphaerella spp. and their anamorphs occurring on Eucalyptus. Studies in Mycology. 50: 195-214. Hood, I. A., Chapman, S. J., Gardiner, J. F. and Molony, K. 2002. Seasonal development of septoria leaf blight in young Eucalyptus nitens plantations in New Zealand. Australian Forestry. 65: 153-164. Old, K. M., Wingfield, M. J. and Yuan, Z. Q. 2003. A Manual of Diseases of Eucalypts in South-East Asia. Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor. Figure C: Pycnidia of Phaeophleospora epicoccoides Park, R. F., Keane, P. J., Wingfield, M. J. and Crous, P. W. 2000. Fungal diseases of eucalypt foliage. In Keane P J, Kile G A, Podger F D and Brown B N (Eds.) Diseases and Pathogens of Eucalypts. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne. pp. 153-240. 31.9 x 3.2 µm to 39.1 x 3.7 µm with an average of 35.72 x 3.32 µm (figure A), pycnidia produced is dark coloured, whose size varies from 64.6 x 37 µm to 68.3 x 36.8 µm with an average of 66.2 x 37.6 µm (figure C) as reported by Burgess et al., 2006. Sharma, J. K. and Mohanan, C. 1981. An unrecorded leaf spot disease of Eucalyptus in Kerala caused by Phaeoseptoria eucalypti (Hansf.) Walker. Current Science. 50: 865-866. Thakar, B. K. and Mishra, P. C. 2010. 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