Botryosphaeria dothidea causing leaf blight of Photinia serrulata in China

Photinia serrulata is a widely cultivated ornamental plant in China and many other nations. P. serrulata leaf blight was observed in April 2022 in Xinxiang City, Henan Province, China. On the leaves, typical leaf blight symptoms included brown necrotic lesions with alternating rings. Botryosphaeria dothidea was isolated from symptomatic leaves of P. serrulata and identified through morphological and phylogenetic analysis of ITS, TEF1-& alpha;, and TUB2. According to the biological characteristics of B. dothidea, the optimal growth temperature and pH are 30 degrees C and 6, respectively. In addition, light conditions can promote the growth of mycelium. Under controlled environ-mental conditions, P. serrulata detached leaves and seedlings were subjected to inoculation experiments. Inoc-ulation with a B. dothidea isolate produced typical symptoms of brown blight, and the same pathogen was re-isolated and identified. According to our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf blight disease caused by B. dothidea on P. serrulata in China.

Automated summary

This study reports leaf blight disease caused by B. dothidea on P. serrulata in Xinxiang City, Henan Province, China. The pathogen was identified and its biological characteristics were confirmed through morphological and experimental analysis.