Identification and Characterization of the Causal Agent of Gummy Stem Blight from Muskmelon and Watermelon in East China

Gummy stem blight (GSB) is one of the most destructive foliar diseases of cucurbits, worldwide. To identify and characterize the pathogen which causes GSB on watermelon and muskmelon in East China, morphological characteristics, pathogenicity assays as well as sequence characterization of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) were performed on 41 isolates collected from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and Jiangxi provinces. The mycelia of all the isolates were white on top and olivaceous green to black with concentric circles at the bottom on potato-dextrose agar medium. The isolates differed significantly on aggressiveness based on pathogenicity assays. rDNA-ITS sequences and phylogenetic analysis confirmed the isolates as Didymella bryoniae. The isolates were found to be highly identical with the exception of 13 isolates, which had a guanine substitution instead of adenine at position 131 of the ITS.