Abstract
The fungal pathogen Monosporascus annonballus was first isolated in Korea from the rotted roots of bottle gourd stocks of collapsed watermelon plants in fields near Chochiwon, Choongnam province in July, 1993. Perithecia of M. cannonballus were dark brown to black, globose, 220~570 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ in diam. and had many asci. Asci are hyaline, clavate to pyriform, and 50~120$\times$35~570 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ in size. Ascospores were aseptate, dark brown to black, globose, 25~45$\times$30~50 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ in diam, and borne singly in each ascus. The fungus grew in the temperature range of 4 to 34$^{\circ}C$, best at 3$0^{\circ}C$. The optimum pH for growth was 6.8. Mycelial growth rate of M. cannonballus was 25.5mm/day on PDA at 26$^{\circ}C$. Perithecia began to form after 20-day-growth on PDA and produced mature asci after 30 days or later. In the greenhouse inoculation tests, the fungus developed water-soaked lesions on roots of bottle gourd seedlings and was then reisolated from the lesions. Severed damages on watermelon plants by M. cannonballus are greatly concerned in Korea, since no stocks used for watermelon cultivation have reported to be resistant to the fungus.
