• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.295-299
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• 2007

These experiments were carried out to examine efficacy of soil solarization for control of pink root disease by means of mulching with transparent polyethylene sheets in the hot season. The effects of soil solarization on incidence of pink-root disease caused by Pyrenochaeta terrestris and on onion growth and on populations of soil fungi were investigated. Solarization was dramatically effective in reducing pink root incidence in onion seedling and harvested onion bulb. A 30-day and 40-day solarization treatment significantly improved seedling survival and increased yield of 'Changnyeong-deago' onion while decreasing incidence of pink root. Populations of soil fungi from fields planted to onion were assayed on selective media. Solarization treatment was effective in reducing populations of P. terrestris, Pythium spp., and Rhizoctonia sp. in soil. Increase of yield of onion bulbs was associated with control of soil-borne pathogenic fungi. Soil solarization had beneficial effects on yield, bulb diameter, or incidence of pink root.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.104-109
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• 2007

Pink root disease of onion, a known worldwide constraint upon onion production, significantly reduces crop levels in the main Korea cultivation area. In order to examine the effect of flooding on incidence of pink root disease caused by Pyrenochaeta terrestris and on onion growth and on populations of soil fungi, field experiments were conducted during two seasons, 2003/04 and 2004/05 at Onion Research Institute. Populations of soil fungi from fields were assayed on selective media. Flooding treatment was effective in reducing populations of P. terrestris, Pythium spp., and Rhizoctonia sp. in soil; fungal populations in soils flooded for 90 days were reduced to 1/2 to 1/3 of those in non-flooded soils. In nursery bed, protective activities of soils flooded for over 60 days were 93.5 to 99.2% and their pink root incidences were less than 5%, which were 1/11 to 1/18 of that in control. Increased yield of onion bulbs was associated with control of soil borne pathogenic fungi by flooding treatments. As flooding period was prolonged, bulb grade showed the tendency to increase. Soil flooding for over 60 days resulted in effective disease control, facilitated accurate planning of plant population in the field, extension of the growing-season and consequently higher yields of better quality.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.195-199
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• 2003

Pink root of onion occurred in the fields of the Onion Experimental Station and in the main onion cultivation area in Korea in 1998 and 1999, respectively. The casual fungus of pink root was isolated only from apricot agar. Formation of pycnidia and pycnidiospores of the fungus was highest in alternating cycles of 12 hours near ultraviolet light and 12 hours in dark condition. Its morphological characteristics and pigment formation on water agar were identical with that of Pyrenochaeta terrestris. The optimum temperature for the growth of the fungus and disease development was $25-28^{\circ}C$. When onion seeds were inoculated with the spore suspension, incubated in test-tube and sown in potted soil, disease symptoms developed in onion roots 7 and 30 days after inoculation.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.348-352
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• 1995

Severe gray mold neck rot of onion occurred in most farmers' fields in the southern part of Korea, and 20∼50% of onions were infected by the disease at Goheung, Chonnam, in 1994. Symptoms of the disease appeared on the lower leaves near the soil surface in late February. The symptoms initially appeared as yellowish blotch with compact gray mold on the surface of the infected leaves and developed to blast of the aboveground parts of onions. As brown to dark brown symptoms progressed around the necks of onion later, the bulbs were rotting gradually. Botrytis sp. repeatedly isolated from the lesions produced the typical symptom on the neck of healthy onion 7 days after wound inoculation of conidial suspension of the fungus. The fungus reisolated from the bulbs was identified as Botrytis allii Munn based on the morphological and cultural characteristics and pathogenicity. This is first report of a gray mold neck rot of onion in Korea.

• Mycobiology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.475-486
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• 2022

The antifungal activity of thymol against Aspergillus awamori F23 and Botrytis aclada F15 in onions was examined through direct treatment with amended media and gaseous treatment with I-plates (plastic plates containing central partitions). The protective and curative control efficacy of thymol was examined 24 h before and after the inoculation of onion bulbs with the fungal isolates. Mycelial growth, sporulation, and spore germination of the isolates were inhibited on potato dextrose agar amended with various concentrations of thymol or acetic acid (positive control). Overall, thymol produced a stronger inhibitory effect on the mycelial growth and development of the isolates than acetic acid. Following gaseous treatment in I-plates, mycelial growth, sporulation, and spore germination of the isolates were inhibited at higher concentrations of thymol or acetic acid; however, acetic acid showed a little effect on the sporulation and spore germination of the isolates. Following the treatment of onion bulbs with 1000 mg L^-1 of thymol 24 h before and after fungal inoculation, lesion diameter was greatly reduced compared with that following treatment with 0.5% ethanol (solvent control). Onion bulbs sprayed with thymol 24 h before fungal inoculation generally showed reduced lesion diameters by isolate F23 but not in isolate F15 compared with those sprayed 24 h after fungal inoculation. Collectively, thymol effectively inhibited the growth and development of A. awamori and B. aclada on amended media and in I-plates. In addition, spraying or fumigation of thymol is more desirable for effectively controlling these postharvest fungal pathogens during long-term storage conditions.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.171-177
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• 2008

In this study, we investigated the induced defense response and protective effects against Stemphylium vesicarium by application of benzothiadiazole ($Bion^{(R)}$) and di-potassium phosphate salt $(K_2HPO_4)$ to onion. Onion leaves were sprayed with $Bion^{(R)}$ and $K_2HPO_4$, then inoculated 2 days later with a virulent strain of S. vesicarium under greenhouse conditions. Disease severity and activities of peroxidase (PO), polyphenoloxidase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and phenol contents were evaluated in the treated leaf tissues. Reduction in the disease severity was observed in plants treated with $Bion^{(R)}$ and $K_2HPO_4$. Onion plants treated with $Bion^{(R)}$ and $K_2HPO_4$ and inoculated with the pathogen showed significantly higher PAL activity, PO activity, and phenol contents than inoculated water-treated plants 2 days after the treatment. In conclusion, the results of this study provide evidence that application of simple non-toxic chemical solutions as di-potassium phosphate and $Bion^{(R)}$ can control Stemphylium leaf blight of onion.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.216-222
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• 2010

Fusarium proliferatum is the causal agent of stalk and root rot disease of maize, foot rot disease of rice, basal and root rot disease of onion and knife cut disease of sugarcane in Iran. In recent years, incidence and severity of these diseases have been increased in Iran. Fifty seven F. proliferatum single-spore isolates collected from diseased maize, rice, onion and sugarcane plants at different areas were used to study genetic diversity by determination of vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs). Chlorate-resistant nitrate non-utilizing (nit) mutants were recovered from selected isolates of F. proliferatum and used in complementation tests. All isolates in which both nit1 and NitM (or nit3) mutants were recovered, demonstrated self-compatibility. Vegetative compatibility tests by pairing nit mutants identified 30 VCGs among 57 isolates. Twenty-three isolates belonged to singlemember VCGs and the remaining 34 isolates, belonged to other seven multimember VCGs. Segregation of F. proliferatum isolates obtained from various area and host plants into different VCGs in Iran is reported for the first time. In this study, none of isolates obtained from rice complemented with any other isolates from onion and sugarcane and, non complementation occurred between onion and sugarcane isolates. Also, only one complementation occurred between one isolate of maize and one isolate of sugarcane and rice. Thus, a correlation between VCGs grouping and host preferences was founded. It is concluded that natural populations of F. proliferatum in Iran are probably genetically divergent and include isolates representing a potential risk for disease development.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.113-120
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• 2022

Leaf blight disease caused by Stemphylium species is an important disease in Allium crops, specifically onion, garlic and welsh onion. In 2018, leaf blight symptoms were severe and damaged onion and garlic in Jeonnam province in Korea. In addition, small purple spots on garlic burbs were observed in a post-harvest storage warehouse. Several Stemphylium isolates were isolated from diseased leaves from the field and from garlic bulb samples and were analyzed in terms of homology and the phylogenetic relationship based on the internal transcribed spacer region and calmodulin gene sequence. The results showed that among three Stemphylium species identified, S. vesicarium is most prevalent on onion and garlic. S. eturmiunum was for the first time identified as pathogenic to onion and garlic, whereas S. solani was found in welsh onion crops. Although these isolates grew well at the optimum temperature at 20 - 25℃, they could also grow at low temperatures of 10 - 15℃. A pathogenicity test was conducted using S. vesicarium and S. eturmiunum on onion and garlic respectively. These results showed that two Stemphylium species were highly virulent with cross pathogenicity in onion and garlic. The results of this study can support the biological characterization of Stemphylium species in Korea. Moreover, further research will need to develop fungicide application strategies for onion and garlic crops.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.567-570
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• 1998

More than 100 isolates of Stemphylium obtained form leaf blight lesions of garlic (Allium sativum), onion (A. cepa) and leek (A. fistulosum) were identified as Stemphylium vesicarium (Wallr.) Simm. based on various morphological characteristics rather than S. botryosum Wallr. previously reported on those plants in Korea. In controlled inoculations, the pathogen induced the disease symptoms on leaves of garlic 7 days after inoculation. Onion and leek were also artificially infected by the fungus. This is the first report of S. vesicarium causing a leaf blight of garlic, onion and leek in Korea.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.600-613
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• 2023

Fusarium oxysporum is the main pathogen causing Fusarium basal rot in onion (Allium cepa L.), which incurs significant yield losses before and after harvest. Among management strategies, biological control is an environmentally safe and sustainable alternative to chemical control. In this study, we isolated and screened bacteria for antifungal activity against the basal rot pathogen F. oxysporum. Isolates 23-045, 23-046, 23-052, 23-055, and 23-056 significantly inhibited F. oxysporum mycelial growth and conidial germination. Isolates 23-045, 23-046, 23-052, and 23-056 suppressed the development of Fusarium basal rot in both onion seedlings and bulbs in pot and spray inoculation assays. Isolate 23-055 was effective in onion seedlings but exhibited weak inhibitory effect on onion bulbs. Based on analyses of the 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequences together with morphological analysis, isolates 23-045, 23-046, 23-052, and 23-055 were identified as Bacillus thuringiensis, and isolate 23-056 as Bacillus toyonensis. All five bacterial isolates exhibited cellulolytic, proteolytic, and phosphate-solubilizing activity, which may contribute to their antagonistic activity against onion basal rot disease. Taken together B. thuringiensis 23-045, 23-046, 23-052, and 23-055 and B. toyonensis 23-056 have potential for the biological control of Fusarium basal rot in onion.