L' «Avvizzimento» del pomodoro (<i>Lycopersicum esculentum</i> Mill.) causato da <i>Alternaria alternata</i> f. sp. <i>Lycopersici</i> Grogan, Kimble e Misaghi

Abstract

A serious disease of tomato cultivar « Early pak 7 » for fresh-market production found in several greenhouses in southern Sardinia (ltaly) is described. Plants are affected in all stages of development with local lesions at the foot, and with typical symptoms of a vascular disease. The causal agent has been identified as Alternaria alternata f. sp. lycopersici Grogan, Kimble and Mis. Morphological and physiologlcal characters of the fungus grown in pure culture are described, and also data on pathogeniclty and host-specificity are reported. Laboratory cultural and crossinfection tests showed that this fungus strongly resembles to A. alternata f. sp.lycopersici isolated in California (USA) as « tomato stem canker » agent