• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.88-94
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• 2020

Recently, the severe dieback of apple trees resulting from soil-borne diseases has occurred in South Korea. The casual agents of dieback were surveyed on 74 apple orchards that had been damaged nationwide in 2016-2019. The number of apple orchards affected alone by Phytophthora rot, violet root rot, and white root rot was 31, 34, and 3, respectively. Also, the total number of mixed infection orchards was 6. Out of 9,112 apple trees affected by dieback, the trees damaged by Phytophthora rot, violet root rot, and white root rot were 3,332, 3,831, and 44, respectively. Moreover, the total number of mixed infection apple trees was 1,905. The provinces mainly affected were Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Chungbuk, and Jeonbuk. The survey on these infected apple orchards will be available to form management strategy for the dieback that had been increased by soil-borne fungal pathogens.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.91-98
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• 2021

The current social demand for organic, sustainable, and eco-friendly approaches for farming, while ensuring the health and productivity of crops is increasing rapidly. Biocontrol agents are applied to crops to ensure biological control of plant pathogens. Research on the biological control of white root rot disease caused by a soil-borne pathogen, Rosellinia necatrix, is limited in pears compared to that in apple and avocado. This pathogenic fungus has an extensive host range, and symptoms of this disease include rotting of roots, yellowing and falling of leaves, wilting, and finally tree death. The severity of the disease caused by R. necatrix, makes it the most harmful fungal pathogen infecting the economical fruit tree species, such as pears, and is one of the main limiting factors in pear farming, with devastating effects on plant health and yield. In addition to agronomic and cultural practices, growers use chemical treatments to control the disease. However, rising public concern about environmental pollution and harmful effects of chemicals in humans and animals has facilitated the search for novel and environmentally friendly disease control methods. This review will briefly summarize the current status of biocontrol agents, ecofriendly methods, and possible approaches to control disease in pear orchards.

• Plant Disease and Agriculture
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1999

The grain rot of caused by Bukholderia glumae was fist reported in japan in 1955 and then reported in other countries as well as in Korea in 1986. The pathogen causes both seedling and grain rot of rice but it cannot attack any other parts of adult rice plant. Bacterial colonies grow slowly, and are circular and greyish white. The causal bacterium is Gram-negative and rod shape with 1-3 polar flagella, and produce a diffusible yellow-greenish nonfluorescent pigment on King's medium B. Biochemical characteristics such as negative in arginine dehydrolase, oxidase reaction and nitrate reduction and positive in lecithinase, and the utilization of L-arginine and inositol are useful in differentiation of this from other nonfluorescent bacteria pathogenic to rice. This pathogenic bacterium had belonged to the genus of Pseudomonas but recently was transferred to the new genus Burkholderia on the basis of physiological characteristics and DNA-DNA hybridization data. However, other characteristics such as colony heterogenicity or colonial variation after subcultures, phytotoxin, secreting antibiotics, and relationship between yellow greenish pigment production and pathogenicity need to be clarified more. To develop an effective control strategy for this disease, understanding of detailed life cycle of the disease and critical environmental factors affecting disease development is prerequisite. Although 5,435 ha of rice paddy in Korea was infested during 1998, there is no exact estimation of yield losses and distribution of the pathogen. The review will focus on recent progress on the understanding of the bacteriological and ecological characteristics of the causal bacterium and control means of the disease.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.113-121
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• 2015

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of crop rotation cultivation on the suppression of garlic white rot caused by Sclerotium cepivorum in the mini plot ($2^*1^*$ 0.5 m). Six crops, soybean, sesame, mung bean, squash, crotalaria and spring onion, were previously transplanted in the mini-plots infested with S. cepivorum before garlics were planted. After cultivation of the previous crops, garlic was sown in the mini-plot. Non-cultivation plots and non-infested plots with white rot pathogen were used as control. The effect of crop rotation cultivation on the suppression of garlic white rot was evaluated by investigating comparatively the disease incidence (the percentage of infected plants) and yields. As a results, infection rate of garlic white rot was recorded lower in the non-infested plot, crotalaria and soybean cultivation than in the plot of the other crop cultivation. Especially when squash was previously cultivated and garlics were planted in 2013, infection rate of garlic white was recorded the highest score. In 2014, the infection rate of garlic white were low in the garlic on soybean, crotalaria and spring onion treatment whereas it was high in squash treatment, as well. In 2013, garlic yield was the highest in no inoculation plot, followed by crotalaria, soybean, no crop cultivation, sesami, mungbean, squash cultivation plot. In 2014, the yield in the plot of crotalaria and soybean was much higher than that in no inoculation plot. Based on above-described results, it is considered that soybean-garlic and crotalaria-garlic cultivation system can be good crop rotation systems to control garlic white rot.

• Mycobiology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.87-96
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• 2019

Fungi produce various secondary metabolites that have beneficial and harmful effects on other organisms. Those bioactive metabolites have been explored as potential medicinal and antimicrobial resources. However, the activities of the culture filtrate (CF) and metabolites of whiterot fungus (Schizophyllum commune) have been underexplored. In this study, we assayed the antimicrobial activities of CF obtained from white-rot fungus against various plant pathogens and evaluated its efficacy for controlling anthracnose and gray mold in pepper plants. The CF inhibited the mycelial growth of various fungal plant pathogens, but not of bacterial pathogens. Diluted concentrations of CF significantly suppressed the severity of anthracnose and gray mold in pepper fruits. Furthermore, the incidence of anthracnose in field conditions was reduced by treatment with a 12.5% dilution of CF. The active compound responsible for the antifungal and disease control activity was identified and verified as schizostatin. Our results indicate that the CF of white-rot fungus can be used as an eco-friendly natural product against fungal plant pathogens. Moreover, the compound, schizostatin could be used as a biochemical resource or precursor for development as a pesticide. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the control of plant diseases using CF and active compound from white-rot fungus. We discussed the controversial antagonistic activity of schizostatin and believe that the CF of white-rot fungus or its active compound, schizostatin, could be used as a biochemical pesticide against fungal diseases such as anthracnose and gray mold in many vegetables.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.48-52
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• 2020

In July 2019, typical rot symptom was observed on peach fruits harvested from the fields at Andong, Korea. As the disease progressed, white and purple colored mycelial mat developed on the surface of the infected fruits. A causal pathogen was isolated from the infected fruit and cultured on potato dextrose agar media for identification. Fungal colonies on potato dextrose agar produced 3 pigments, including purple, yellow, and white colors. The isolate incited fruit rot symptoms on artificially inoculated peach fruits, from which the same fungus was isolated, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Based on the morphological characteristics and sequence analysis of rDNA internal transcribed spacer, translation elongation factor 1-alpha, and β-tubulin, the causal agent of the disease was identified as Fusarium avenaceum. This study is the first report of fruit rot of peach fruits caused by Fusarium avenaceum in Korea.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.201-203
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• 2005

The stem rot disease was found on Hosta longipes that planted in the flower beds along the Namgang riverside in Jinju city, Korea. The disease occurred first time in July, 2004 and sporadically occurred in 2005. The typical symptom of the disease is water-soaking, dark brown spot on the stem, and getting wilt. The infected plants were mostly died. White mycelial mats were spread over lesions and sclerotia were formed on stems and near soil line. The sclerotia were globoid in shape, $1\~3$ mm in diameter and white to brown in color, The optimum temperature for mycelial growth of the fungus on PDA was $30^{\circ}C$ and the hyphal width was $4\~8{\mu}m$. Clamp connections were observed in the hyphae of the fungus grown on PDA. Pathogenicity of the causal organism was proved on Hosta longipes according to Koch,s postulate. On the basis of mycological characteristics and pathogenicity to host plants, the fungus was identified as Sclerotium rolfsii Saccardo. This is the first report on the stem rot of H. longipes caused by S. rolfsii in Korea.

• Plant Disease and Agriculture
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 1995

This study was carried out to select effective fungicides against white and violet root rot caused by Rosellinia necatrix and Helicobasidium mompa with nine fungicides including thiophanate-methyl from 1993 to 1994. Through laboratory, greenhouse and field trials on inhibitory effect of mycelial growth and disease incidence against the two fungal pathogens, 5 fungicides have been selected finally. Thiopanate-methyl, benomyl, iminoctadine-triacetate and isoprothiolane were proven to have high control effect against R. necatrix. In addition to thiopanate-methyl and benomyl, tolclofos-methyl has been selected for effective control of H. mompa, since it showed prominent control effect in field trial than in laboratory or green house test.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.282-287
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• 2012

Sclerotium cepivorum is a causal agent of white rot disease on different plants including Allium species such as garlic. A mycoparasite, Paraconiothyrium minitans S134 was selected for biological control of sclerotinia rot of garlic caused by S. cepivorum. The experiment was carried out in a garlic field in Taean from October in 2011 to June in 2012. Spore suspension of the mycoparasite was treated twice onto soil surface around garlic plants in sowing in 2011 and late Feb. in 2012, and disease rating was made June in 2012. Incidence of white rot in the twice-application plot of the mycoparasite ($5{\times}10^6$ spores/mL) and in the fluquinconazole (WP)-treated plot was 6.8% and 0.4%, respectively, whereas that of control was 19.5%. As the results, P. minitans S134 could be a prospective biofungicide for biological control of white rot of garlic.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.143-147
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• 2022

Sclerotinia rot symptoms were observed in stringy stonecrop (Sedum sarmentosum) plants growing in vinyl greenhouses in Yeoju and Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, Korea, during disease surveys in spring 2019 and 2020. The initial symptoms were soft rot on stems and leaves at or above the soil line. Furthermore, the symptoms progressed upwards, and the infected plant parts exhibited white to grayish-yellow discoloration. The infestation of diseased plants in the vinyl greenhouses was 1-5% at the two locations examined. Eight isolates of Sclerotinia sp. were obtained from lesions of the diseased plants. The isolates were identified as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum based on their morphological and molecular characteristics. In addition, artificial inoculation tested three isolates of S. sclerotiorum for pathogenicity on stringy stonecrop plants. All the tested isolates caused Sclerotinia rot symptoms in the inoculated plants. The symptoms were similar to those observed in plants from the vinyl greenhouses investigated. This study is the first report of S. sclerotiorum causing Sclerotinia rot in stringy stonecrop.