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Pathogenic Specialization of Cercospora beticola. Z. Solel, Division of Plant Pathology, The Volcani Institute of Agricultural Research, Bet Dagan; I. Wahl, Division of Mycology and Plant Pathology, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel. Phytopathology 61:1081-1083. Accepted for publication 5 April 1971. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-61-1081.

Isolates of Cercospora beticola varied in their aggressiveness, as measured by the number of lesions caused per unit of leaf area of a given cultivar uniformly inoculated, but not in the type of lesion or intensity of sporulation. A method based on the relative density of lesions induced was devised for grading disease reaction of sugarbeet cultivars; eight isolates were separated into three races. Inoculation with hyphal tip progeny cultures, or with progeny cultures derived in up to five successive reisolation and reinoculation cycles, proved the stability of pathogenicity in the fungus.