Helianthus annuus as a natural host for Stemphylium vesicarium in Iran

Sunflower leaf spot is one of the most common as well as important foliar diseases of this host in northern Iran. Stemphylium vesicarium was revealed to be one of the causal agents of sunflower leaf spot based on morphological and molecular characteristics. The identity of the species was confirmed using sequence data from the ITS rDNA region and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpd) gene sequences. Pathogenicity of the fungus was proven by inoculation of four-week-old sunflower plants (cv. Euroflor) under controlled conditions. This is the first report on the incidence of S. vesicarium on H. annuus anywhere in the world.