Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cvs.Xanthi-nc and NC 82) plants infected with Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) were examined ultrastructurally. Local lesions produced by TMV were sunken and withered. The plants were subjected to temperature shift (TS), a method to produce programmed cell death (PCD), by placing the infected plants initially at high temperature (35$^{\circ}C$) for 2 days and then shifting them to greenhouse temperature (22-27$^{\circ}C$). As a result, expanded lesions around the original necrotic lesions were produced. The expanded area initially had no symptoms, but it withered and became necrotic 15 h after TS. No ultrastructural changes related to PCD were noted at 0 h after TS in Xanthi-nc tobacco tissues as well as in healthy and susceptible tobacco tissues infected with TMV, At 6 h after TS, chloroplasts were convoluted and cytoplasm began to be depleted; however no necrotic cells were found. At 17 h after TS, ground cytoplasm of affected cells was completely depleted and chloroplasts were stacked together with bent cell wall or dispersed in the intracellular space. Necrotic cells were also observed, containing virus particles in the necrotic cytoplasm. There were initially two types of symptoms in the expanded lesions: chlorosis and non-chlorosis (green). Abundant TMV particles and X-bodies were only found in the chlorotic tissue areas. These results suggest that PCD by TMV infection may start with the wilting of cells and tissues before necrotic lesion formation.

Gelatin particle agglutination test (GPAT) was used to detect Cymbidum mosaic virus (CymMV) in Cattleya plants. Gelatin particles were coated with purified anti-CymMV immunoglobulin of 25-100 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml and were subjected to several different concentrations of purified CyMfV as well as varying dilutions of orchid leaf extracts. The GPAT detected purified CymMV up to a minimum concentration of 10 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml. CymMV was detected from crude sap extract of infected Cattleya leaves and roots up to 1:51,200 and 1:25,600 dilutions, respectively. However, the optimum range of leaf and root sap dilutions was between 50-100. Non-specific reactions were not encountered from any of the healthy orchid plants tested. The entire GPAT process was completed within 2-3 hours. This test was found to be very useful for the detection of CymMV in orchids because it is sensitive, economical, and easy to perform.

Yellowing disease of palms caused by phytoplasma is spreading in the Arabian Gulf region. Surveys were conducted to determine the occurrence of the disease. Electron and fluorescence microscopy, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques were used to detect the phytoplasma associated with the yellowing disease of ornamental palm Washingtonia sp. grown in Kuwait. An accumulation of phytoplasmal DNA was observed by fluorescence microscopy in phloem tissues of diseased palms. Electron microscopy showed that phytoplasma cells were primarily confined to the phloemsieve elements of tissue samples collected from infected mature palms in the field. The pathogen was identified on the basis of molecular analysis using universal and specific nested primers in PCR amplifications. Prokaryotic 16S rDNA gene was detected in amplified PCR products. Nested PCR resulted in DNA amplification of 1.2 kbp fragment. This is the first report of a phytoplasmal rDNA gene identified from the putative causal pathogen of yellows in ornamental palms in the Arabian Gulf region.

The distribution of citrusphages and phage types of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri was investigated in Korea. Forty-eight strains of the bacterial pathogen and 28 bacteriophage strains were isolated from citrus leaves showing the citrus canker symptom. Only a single bacteriophage group, named CPK, was identified based on their aggressiveness to the bacterial pathogen. The bacterial strains were differentiated into two Iysotypes based on their sensitivity to CPK. Lysotype I, which was sensitive to CPK, was more predominant (96%), while only 4% belonged to Iysotype II, which was resistant to CPK. Among the 13 xanthomonads including Iysotype A and Iysotype B of X axonopodis pv. citri, CPKs were only aggressive to BC 83 (=Xc 62) strain of X. axonopodis pv, citri reported as Iysotype A. Thus, bacterial pathogens and citrusphages related to citrus plants mainly distributed in Korea were presumed as Iysotype A of X. axonopodis pv, citri, and Iysotype A-infecting CP$_1$ respectively.

The physiological changes in sorghum (Sorghum vulgare Pers.) leaves infected with Drechslera sorghicola were investigated through five recognizable stages of disease development. Water-soaked yellowish brown spots developed two days after inoculation, turned brown with yellow halo, enlarged and coalesced at later stages of disease development. Healthy and infected leaves were analyzed for different biochemical constituents. The chlorophyll contents were decreased significantly with the progress of infection. The levels of reducing and total sugars increased while non-reducing sugars decreased to a significant extent with the progress of disease. The concentration of total phenolics, orthodihydroxy phenols, free and glycosidic phenols showed significant changes due to infection, whereas basic and acid phenols showed little or no change with disease development. Levels of phenolic compounds increased four days after inoculation and decrease thereafter, but the concentration was higher at every stage of disease development relative to healthy tissues. Polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase enzyme activities increased to varying degrees at different stages of infection. Analysis of protein fractions showed a significant increase with the progress of disease.

Black blights attacked the blossom and flower buds of wild chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum boreale) in the experimental field in Hamyang in 1998. The infection rate of the disease on the plant ranged from 4.0 to 91.8%. The pathogen isolated from the infected flower buds produced numerous conidia in pycnidia. The pycnidia, which were immersed into the petals, emerged through the epidermis by short ostiolate neck. Conidia had 0-3 septate (mostly uniseptate) and were 10-27.5 $\times$5-7.5 ㎛ in size. The fungus produced pseudothecia on potato dextrose agar (PDA), and uniseptate ascospores produced in asci were 10$\times$2.7 ㎛ in size. The pathogen also produced pycnidia and pycnidiospores on PDA after 4 weeks in the dark condition. The conidia produced on PDA were smaller than those from infected plants. Based on the examined mycological characteristics, the fungus was identified as Didymella chrsanthemi.

In 2001, a black scab disease was observed in tea plant (Thea sinensis) cultivated in the hillsides of Hwngaemyon and Hadong-gun, Gyeongnam province, Korea. The disease symptoms initially appeared on leaves, green twigs and stems, showing small dark brown spots on the infected areas, which gradually expanded. A fungus was isolated from diseased leaves and green twigs. It grew readily on potato dextrose agar, forming dark green to dark gray colonies. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth was about 20$^{\circ}C$. The diameter of growing hyphae was 3.5-5.8 $\mu\textrm{m}$. Conidia were ellipsoidal, ovoid or subspherical, and mostly one-celled but occasionally septate. The size of one-celled and septate conidia were 3.7-12.4${\times}$3.4-5.2 $\mu\textrm{m}$ and 9.3-18.7${\times}$3.8-7.2 $\mu\textrm{m}$, respectively. Conidia were formed in long branched chains on the erected conidiophores, which were dark brown in color and 28.9-218.3${\times}$3.0-6.1 $\mu\textrm{m}$ in length. The fungus was identified as Cladosporium herbarum on the basis of its morphological characteristics. The black scab disease occurring in tea caused by Cladosporium herbarum has not been previously reported in Korea.

In August 2001, pod rot of cowpea caused by Choanephora cucurbitarum was found in the experimental fields of the Gyeongsangnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services, Korea. Initial symptoms of the disease were the appearance of water-soaked, dark-green lesions and followed by rapid rotting of the infected tissues. As the disease progressed, whitish mycelia and monosporous sporangiophore with monosporous sporangiola were produced on the lesions. The fungus produced white to pale yellowish brown mycelia with scattered monosporous sporangiophore and monosporous sporangia containing sporangiospores on potato dextrose agar (PDA). Monosporous sporangiophore was long, slender and branched at the apex, with each branch bearing a sporangiospore. Sporangium was subglobose in shape and 42.6-112.6 ㎛ in size. Monosporous sporangiola were elliptic, fusiform or ovoid, brown in color, and 9.8-23.4$\times$7.2-12.8 ㎛ in size. Sporangiospores were elliptic, fusiform or ovoid in shape, dark brown or brown in color, 12.9-24.6$\times$8.6-15.4 ㎛ in size, and had three or more appendages. Zygospores were black and 43.6-72.4 ㎛ in size. The fungus grew on PDA at 15-40$\^{C}$, and optimum temperature was 30$\^{C}$. This is the first report on pod rot of cowpea caused by C. cucurbitarum in Korea.

Gray mold was observed on leaves of castor bean grown in Woniu and Okcheon in Korea in October 2000. Symptoms developed in the form of spot and blight with sporulation of the causal fungi at the marginal or central parts of the leaves. A total of 25 isolates were obtained from the infected leaves of castor bean. Out of the 25 isolates, 5 isolates which originated from Woniu were identified as Botrytis cinerea, while 20 isolates from Okcheon were identified as Amphobotrys ricini based on morphological and cultural characteristics. Two isolates each of B. cinerea and A. ricini were tested for their pathogenicity to castor bean plants. Gray mold symptoms similar to those observed in the fields were induced on leaves of castor bean by artificial inoculation. This is the first report of gray mold in castor bean caused by B. cinerea and A. ricini in Korea.

Identification of soybean sprout rot pathogens.

Identification and characterization of Coronatine-producing Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae isolated from Korea.