• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.9-20
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• 2017

Incidence of leaf blast on nursery plants and pitting disease on maturing banana bunches has been recorded in banana plantations during rainy season in Eastern India during 2014 to 2015. Taxonomical identification as well as DNA sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region of fungus isolated from affected tissue culture derived plantlets and fruits confirmed the pathogen to be Pyricularia angulata Hashioka "in both the cases". Koch's postulates were proved on young plantlets as well as on maturing fruits of cv. Grand Naine under simulated conditions. Evolutionary history was inferred and presented for our P. angulata strain PG9001 with GenBank accession no. KU984740. The analysis indicated that the P. angulata is phylogenitically distinct from other related species related to both Pyricularia and Magnaporthe. Detailed symptoms of blast lesions on young leaves, transition leaves, mid rib, petioles, peduncle, maturing bunches, bunch stalks and cushions were documented. Notably, the distinct small pitting spots on maturing bunches reduced the visual appeal of mature fruits. Appearance of pitting symptoms on fruits in relation with age of fruits and their distribution pattern on bunch and fingers was also documented in detail. Further, the roles of transitory leaves, weed hosts, seasonality on disease occurrence have also been documented.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.114-119
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• 1987

Banana blast was frequently encountered in greenhouses of Jeju province during a local survey of plan diseases from 1985 to 1986. The disease incidence on banana was very severe up to $100\%$ in a greenhouse. The causal fungus was identified as Pyricularia angulata Hashioka based on mycological characteristics and Path genicity of the fungus. The symptom of blast produced on leaves of banana was circular to oval, dark brow spots with yellow margins which measured 1-10mm in diameter, and the symptom on fruits was circular to oval reddish brown or dark brown, depressed spots which measured up to 20mm in diameter. The symptoms were scattered not only on leaves and fruits of banana but. also on petioles, leaf sheaths, bunch stalks and crowns The pathogen was characterized that conidia were hyaline, 2 septated, ovate to pyriform with a small hilum solitary at ends of den tides of conidiophores, and measured $16.0-34.0\times7.0-12.0{\mu}m$ (average $22.5\times9.0{\mu}m$) and conidiophores were mostly 2 septated, occasionally 2 or 3 branched, denticulate at the tips, and measured $7.5-100.0\times3.0-5.0{\mu}m$(average $90.0\times4.0{\mu}m$). The optimum temperature range for mycelial growth of the fungus on PDA was $26-28^{\circ}C$. The result of pathogenicity tests revealed that P. angulata had pathogenicity only on banana. On the other hand Pyricularia grisea (Cke.) Sacc. isolated from Digitaria sanguinalis(L.) Scopo. was not pathogenic to banana. It was revealed that the leaves were the most susceptible to P. angulata among several parts of banana in inoculation tests. Thirty-day-old fruits of banana were more susceptible to the fungus than 60-day-old fruits, and bunch stalks were more susceptible than the fruits.