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Recent Outbreak of Stem Canker (Diaporthe phaseolorum var. meridionalis) of Soybean in Santa Fe, Argentina

This disease was first noted in the area in February 1993 (2), when a soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) disease survey was conducted in several localities of southern Santa Fe province, the core soybean region of Argentina. At that time, its incidence ranged from 5 to 8% in isolated fields. However, in March 1997, stem canker reached a dramatic 70 to 100% incidence, probably helped by the extensive use of susceptible cultivars, favorable climatic conditions, and inoculum availability from no-till fields. Observed symptoms on stems consisted of V-shaped longitudinal lesions at petiole insertion, with reddish brown margins and discolored centers, where the pycnidia of the anamorph Phomopsis phaseoli (Desmaz.) Sacc. meridionalis Morgan-Jones were found. The lesions coalesced and consequently the main stem and branches died. Foliage symptoms started as yellow blotches, later developing into interveinal chlorosis and necrosis. Perithecia of the teleomorph Diaporthe phaseolorum (Cooke & Ellis) Sacc. var. meridionalis F. A. Fernandez (1) were obtained from infected stems in several crop seasons. Once ripe, the ascospores were cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) acidified with lactic acid (0.2%), amended with streptomycin (100 mg/liter), and maintained in darkness at 20 to 25°C. Yellowish white colonies were obtained, later becoming tan and developing perithecia. Perithecia had a beak length of 868 ± 183 μm, neck width of 126.2 ± 17 μm, the asci of 36.7 ± 4.7 μm length and bicellular biguttulate ascospores of 10.2 ± 1 μm length and 3 ± 0.13 μm width. All features match the available descriptions of the pathogen (1). Pathogenicity trials were performed on seedlings of resistant and susceptible cultivars up to second trifoliar leaf stage; these cultivars were classified according to inoculations and field behavior. Plants were wounded with a scalpel in the cotyledonary node and inoculated with a 3-mm-diameter PDA mycelial plug, covered with vaseline. Control seedlings were either not wounded or similarly wounded and covered with vaseline but no PDA plugs were applied. Symptom development was observed within 4 days from inoculation in the top leaf, and in 7 days most seedlings of susceptible cultivars were dead. Resistant cultivars survived and showed only reddish discoloration in wounds. The control seedlings were symptomless and the pathogen was not isolated from them. Conversely, inoculated seedlings with visible symptoms consistently yielded D. phaseolorum var. meridionalis from stem sections at different distances from the inoculation point.When cultured on water agar, alpha conidia from pycnidia and ascospores from the perithecia were obtained.

References: (1) F. A. Fernandez and R. T. Hanlin. Mycologia 88:425, 1996. (2) R. N. Pioli et al. Comun. Biol. 11:156, 1993.