Open Access

ARTICLE

Morphological and Phylogenetic Resolution of Diplodia neojuniperi Emerging Diplodia Top Dieback of Pinus thunbergii Parl. in China

Xiaolei Ding, Ruiwen Zhao, Sixi Lin, Jianren Ye^*

Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China

* Corresponding Author: Jianren Ye. Email:

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2022, 91(12), 2813-2825. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2022.024609

Received 03 June 2022; Accepted 20 July 2022; Issue published 29 August 2022

Abstract

In Bazhong City, Sichuan Province, China, top dieback symptoms were found on many pine trees (Pinus thunbergii Parl). The tips of old needles first turned grayish-green and then developed into brown bands in the field. Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated ITS and EF1-α indicated the pathogen of this dieback disease as Diplodia neojuniperi. Additionally, effects of temperature, pH and medium on the mycelial growth were also characterized. The most favorable temperature and pH level for mycelial growth are 25°C and 8, respectively. The optimal medium for mycelial growth is PDA medium. To our knowledge, this is the first report of D. neojuniperi causes Diplodia top dieback on Pinus thunbergii. Our results provide fundamental information for monitoring and preventing such disease in the future.

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Keywords

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