Occurrence of Sweetpotato Chlorotic Leaf Distortion Caused by Fusarium lateritium in Kenya. A. W. Kihurani, National Agricultural Research Laboratories, P.O. Box 14733, Nairobi, Kenya. L. G. Skoglund, and R. W. Gatumbi. International Potato Center, P.O. Box 25171, Nairobi, Kenya; and National Agricultural Research Laboratories, P.O. Box 14733, Nairobi, Kenya. Plant Dis. 77:1260-1261. Accepted for publication 13 August 1993. Copyright 1993 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-77-1260.

Signs and symptoms of chlorotic leaf distortion were observed on sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) in the South Nyanza district of Kenya during 1990 and 1991. These included epiphytic mycelium, chlorosis, and stunting. Fusarium lateritium was isolated and pathogenicity tests were conducted. Symptoms of chlorosis, stunting, and distortion did not develop, but hyphae and conidia were observed on newly expanding leaves. F. lateritium was reisolated from 32–41% of the inoculated plants after 4 mo and was found growing epiphytically on 83–94% of plants after 11 mo. This is the first report of chlorotic leaf distortion in Kenya and in Africa.