A scientific paper about First Report of Alternaria alternata Causing Leaf Spot on Quince (Cydonia oblonga) in Iraq has been published in Plant Disease Journal, which is one of Q2 journals, by some Lecturers of Agriculture College/University of Kerbala
The paper was published by Dr Adnan A. Lahuf, Dr. Ali A. Kareem and Dr Mushtak T. Mohammadali who are members of Plant Protection Department, Agriculture College, University of Kerbala in May/2020. The paper was about first record to A. alternata as fungal pathogen causing leaf spot on Quince trees that considered one of important trees in Iraq. The identification was based on morphological and molecular approaches particularly via specific genetic markers that are used in fungal identification
In spring 2018, circular to irregular dark brown necrotic spots surrounded by yellow haloes were observed on leaves, particularly old ones located on the bottom of quince trees of various ages in the Alhusseiniya region of Kerbala Province, Iraq. . Leaves showing symptoms were excised (0.5 to 1 cm in length) and several fungal isolates associated with symptomatic tissues were obtained and purified. Microscopic analyses showed that the mycelium was septate, and the conidia were olive to dark brown and were obclavate to ovoid or elliptical, measuring 11 to 30 μm long and 8.7 to 13 μm wide with a short beak. They had 0 to 3 longitudinal and 1 to 4 transversal septa and sometimes formed long chains. Morphological features were similar to Alternaria alternate. To confirm identification, genomic DNA was extracted from a pure culture of a representative isolate. Three genetic markers were amplified partially. The resulting sequences were BLASTn analyzed, revealing 98 to 100% identity with A. alternate. The sequences were submitted to GenBank (MN094110.1, MN164691.1, and MN164690.1, respectively). The pathogenicity of the representative isolate selected randomly was assessed. The inoculated leaves showed brown necrotic spots similar to those originally observed, and the same pathogen was re-isolated.This is the first record of A. alternata causing leaf spot in quince trees in Iraq. The paper has published in Plant Disease Journal, one of quarter 2 journals with impact factor 1.20. This research is part of a scientific project to investigate molecularly the causal agents of plant diseases distributed in Karbala Governorate.
https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/10.1094/PDIS-12-19-2566-PDN
