• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.405-409
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• 2011

Azolla Lam. is a small aquatic fern with deeply bilobed leaves, which are consisted of a thick greenish, with chlorophyll, upper (dorsal) lobe and a thinner, translucent lower (ventral) lobe, without chlorophyll, submerged in the water. Azolla blight was observed at a lotus pond. Mycological characteristics of the fungus associated with Azolla blight was immediately determined as Rhizoctonia sp. by the thickness and branching of hypha at right angles at the point toward the distal end of septa, with branching hypha is constricted. The fungus produced brown mycelia and dark brown sclerotia on PDA. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth and sclerotia formation were $25^{\circ}C$ and $30^{\circ}C$, respectively. The optimum temperature for fungal infection was $30^{\circ}C$, when spray inoculated. Phylogenetic analysis of rDNA-ITS revealed that the fungus was identified as Rhizoctonia solani (AG-1 IA) closest to one causing rice sheath blight disease. This is the first report on the blight disease of Azolla caused by R. solani in Korea.