Occurrence of Eggplant Wilt Caused by Verticillium dahliae

A wilt disease occurred on greenhouse-grown eggplants at Yeojoo, Korea in 1997. The wilted eggplants had leaves with gradual yellowing, interveinal necrosis, and marginal crinkling. Vascular tissues of diseased stems were discolored, turned black, and microsclerotia developed at the base of stems. The disease progressed from lower parts of the plants upward. Fungal isolates from discolored vascular tissues were initially whitish to cream color on potato-dextrose agar (PDA) plate, which later turned black due to the formation of microsclerotia. Conidiophores were erect, hyaline, verticillately branched, and had 3 or 4 phialides arising at each node. Phialides were hyaline, arranged in whorls, and measured as 17.5-32.5 x 2-3$\mu\textrm{m}$. Conidia were hyaline, ellipsoidal to sub-cylindrical, mainly one-celled, and measured as 5-8.8 x 2-4$\mu\textrm{m}$. Conidia were borne in small clusters at the tips of phialides. Microsclerotia formed on PDA plates, and consisted of globular cells that formed irregular masses of various shapes. Chlamydospores were absent. Based on these cultural and morphological characteristics, the fungus was identified as Verticillium dahliae Klebahn. Pathogenicity tests by root cutting, root dipping or soil drenching resulted in similar symptoms observed in the naturally infected eggplants. This is the first report on occurrence of Verticillium wilt of eggplant in Korea.