Iberis sempervirens (candytuft) is increasingly grown in Liguria (northern Italy) as a potted plant for ornamental purposes, particularly under cool-weather conditions. At the end of the summer of 2003, extensive necrosis was observed on leaves and young stems of 4-month-old plants grown in 14-cm diameter pots outdoors at a commercial farm. In many cases, on the upper side of the leaves, necrotic spots were surrounded by a chlorotic halo that turned progressively black. The necrotic areas often coalesced, generating larger and irregularly shaped spots. On the lower side of the leaves, no chlorotic areas were observed. Severely affected plants were defoliated. Infected plants rarely died, but the presence of lesions on mature plants decreased aesthetic quality and subsequently market value. The disease occurred on 40% of plants at each of the two farms. Leaf spots contained dark brown, multicellular pear-shaped conidia. Conidia were 22.5 to 50.0 μm (average 32.8 μm) long and 7.5 to 15.0 μm (average 12.3 μm) wide, with 5 to 7 longitudinal cross walls and an average of 6 to 7 single cells. From infected leaves, a fungus identified on the basis of its morphological characteristics as Alternaria sp. was consistently isolated on potato dextrose agar. Pathogenicity tests were performed by spraying leaves of healthy 12-month-old potted I. sempervirens plants with a spore and mycelial suspension (105 CFU/ml). Plants without inoculation served as control. Ten plants were used for each treatment. Plants were covered with plastic bags for 10 days after inoculation and kept outdoors for 60 days at temperatures ranging from 0 to 32°C (average 12°C). The first lesions developed on leaves 45 days after inoculation, while control plants remained healthy. From such lesions, Alternaria sp. was consistently reisolated. The pathogenicity test was carried out twice. The presence of A. brassicae was reported in Tanganica on Iberis sp., I. umbellata in Denmark (2), and I. amara in the United States (4); A. matthiolae was observed on seeds of I. amara and I. umbellata (3). A leaf spot incited by Alternaria sp. on I. amara was observed in Florida (1). This is, to our knowledge, the first report of Alternaria sp. on I. sempervirens in Italy as well as worldwide.
References: (1) S. A. Alfieri et al. Index of Plant Diseases in Florida. Bull. 11, 1984. (2) P. Neergaard. Rev. Appl. Micol. 18:572, 1939. (3) P. Neergaard. Rev. Appl. Micol. 25:382, 1946). (4) R. D. Raabe. Comb. Proc. Int. Plant Propagators Soc. 40:160, 1991.
