A new species of Phoma causes ascochyta blight symptoms on field peas (Pisum sativum) in South Australia

Phoma koolunga sp. nov. is described, having been isolated from ascochyta blight lesions oil field pea (Pisum sativum) in South Australia. The species is described morphologically and sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region compared with those of the accepted pathogens causing ascochyta blight of field peas. P. koolunga was distinct from Mycosphaerella pinodes (anamorph: Ascochyla pinodes), Phoma medicaginis var. pinodella and Ascochyta pisi. Under controlled conditions the symptoms Oil pea seedlings caused by R koolunga were indistinguishable from those caused by M. Pinodes, other than a 24 h delay in disease development. Isolates of R koolunga. differed ill (lie severity of disease caused Oil pea seedlings.