• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.255-258
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• 2012

In September 2011, black leaf mold caused by Pseudocercospora fuligena occurred on tomato plants growing in protected cultivation conditions in Boryong and Buyeo, Chungnam Province, Korea. Symptoms of the disease initially appeared as foliar chlorotic spots on upper leaf surfaces, turned light brown and then black on lower leaf surfaces as the fungus sporulates profusely. The causal fungus was isolated from the diseased plants and identified as P. fuligena based on morphological characteristics. Pathogenicity of the fungus was proved by artificial inoculation in the green house. This is the first report of the occurrence of black leaf mold of tomato caused by P. fuligena in Korea.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.181-190
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• 2023

The fungal pathogen Pseudocercospora fuligena, known to affect tomatoes in the tropics and subtropics, has been reported from temperate climates including the United States and Turkey in recent years. In this study, an isolate from fresh tomatoes and the disease it causes were characterized and infection mechanisms investigated. Macroscopically, both sides of tomato leaves show indistinct effuse patches but prolific production of fuliginous lesions is conspicuous on the abaxial side first but also on the adaxial side later on as infection progressed. Microscopically, fascicles of conidiophores (11-128 ㎛ × 3.5-9 ㎛) arising from stromata and conidia with up to 12 septations were observed. Molecular characterization of the isolate revealed high homology (99.8%) to other P. fuligena isolated from tomatoes in Turkey. Out of the 10 media tested, P. fuligena grew significantly well and sporulated better on unsealed tomato oatmeal agar and carrot leaf decoction agar, both supplemented with CaCO₃. Direct transfer of conidia from profusely sporulating lesions was the easiest and quickest method of isolation for in-vitro studies. Light and scanning electron microscopy on cleared and intact tomato leaves further confirmed stomatal penetration and egress as well as prevalence of primary and secondary infection hyphae. In situ, blocked stomatal aperture areas of 154, 401, and 2,043 ㎛² were recorded at 7, 12, and 17 days after inoculation, respectively. With the recent expanded horizon of the pathosystem and its consequential impact, such studies will be useful for a proper diagnosis, identification and management of the disease on tomato worldwide.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.94-98
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• 2015

Tomato black leaf molds were collected from the six metropolitan cities, which were occurred mainly from the end of August until November. There was no significant difference on the fungal growth between potato dextrose agar and tomato-oatmeal agar media. The mycelial growth of the fungus was robust at a relatively high temperature, from 28 to $30^{\circ}C$. The suppression rates of hyphal growth ranged from 17-98% on the media supplemented with four different chemicals such as difenoconazole, fluquinconazole and prochloraz manganese complex, metconazole, and flutianil and there is no different suppression rates of the fungicides on the tested Pseudocercospora fuligena isolates.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.1071-1081
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• 2020

Essential oils (EOs) have been shown to be plant-extracted antimicrobial agents. However, there are limited studies investigating the efficacy of EOs against pathogens. Among them, tea tree oil (TTO) is extracted from Melaleuca alternifolia, which is also used as an antifungal agent. In this study, the effect of TTO was investigated on the suppression of melon powdery mildew caused by Podosphaera xanthii and tomato leaf mold disease caused by Passalora fulva. Both powdery mildew and leaf mold diseases were significantly suppressed by a spray of TTO. Eighty percent of powdery mildew and 81% of leaf mold disease of the control value were suppressed by 0.5% TTO liquid, when sprayed 3 times every 7 days on the melon and tomato leaves. Inhibition of mycelial growth was also greatly affected by different concentrations of TTO against four different fungal pathogens. Ninety-eight percent of Pseudocercospora fuligena, 97% of P. fulva, 95% of Botrytis cinerea, and 94% of Phytophthora infestans mycelial growth were inhibited by 0.2% to 1.0% of TTO contained in plate media, respectively. However, phytotoxicity in plants by the TTO treatments was revealed when melon and tomato leaves were sprayed with a 1% and 2% concentration of TTO, respectively. Therefore, our findings show that TTO has high antifungal effects against various plant pathogens that occur during crop cultivation. We also suggest that when applying TTO to plant leaves, it is necessary to establish an accurate treatment concentration for different crops.