Atripes paspaligen. et sp. nov. (Magnaporthaceae) causing take-all disease onPaspalum guenoarumin Brazil

In Brazil,Paspalumspecies are commonly used in sports lawns, landscape projects, and as forage for livestock.Paspalum guenoarumplants showing symptoms of take-all disease were observed in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The fungusGaeumannomyces graminisis the only species reported associated with this disease onPaspalum. In recent years, new species ofGaeumannomyceshave been proposed based on molecular studies, which demonstrated the existence of a species complex. Take-all affects rice and wheat, but the aetiology of this disease onP.guenoarumis still unknown; this work aimed to elucidate the aetiology of the take-all onP.guenoarumin Brazil and evaluate possible alternative hosts of agricultural importance. Based on combined phylogenetic analyses of ITS,LSU,TEF-1 alpha, andRPB1sequences, the fungal pathogen was identified asAtripes paspaligen. et sp. nov., which is proposed as a new genus in the Magnaporthaceae family. A representative isolate ofA. paspaliwas inoculated on healthyP.guenoarumplants and reproduced the same symptoms of take-all observed in the field. Furthermore, this fungus is also able to cause take-all on wheat plants; temperature directly affected the incidence and development of the disease in wheat. Take-all onP. guenoarumis caused byA. paspali.

Automated summary

A new species of fungal pathogen, Atripes paspaligen. et sp. nov., belonging to a new genus proposed in the Magnaporthaceae family, was identified as causing take-all disease on sports lawns of P. guenoarum in Brazil. This fungus not only affects P. guenoarum, but is also capable of causing take-all disease in wheat plants.