Characterization of Stemphylium spp. associated with tomato foliar diseases in Algeria

Leaf blight and spot caused by Stemphylium spp. Alternaria are the most common destructive tomato diseases in north-western Algeria. During 2018 growing seasons, more than 30% of samples collected from plants grown greenhouses or open fields were infected with Stemphylium. Initial symptoms small, multiple, irregular to oval, yellow leaf spots, which enlarged brown lesions later. In these lesions, mostly co-occurred Twenty nine isolates characterized based on morphological features, multi-locus phylogenies using ITS, gpd, cmdA genomic loci. Five species (S. lycopersici, S. gracilariae, eturmiunum, vesicarium, lycii) associated spot, lycii is a new report for tomato. Pathogenicity tests healthy 2-months-old seedlings reproduced similar those observed crops. The tested fungus differed pathogenicity. Two lycopersici aggressive other species, causing major plants. five identified reported first time as pathogens Algeria, Algerian mycoflora.