Fungi associated with apple and pear sooty blotch and flyspeck diseases in Guilan province, Iran

Sooty blotch and flyspeck occur on fruit surfaces and result in economic losses due to less attractive appearance. Sooty blotch fungi form dark mycelial mats whereas flyspeck fungal agents are well characterized with black, sclerotium-like bodies on fruit surface. Whilst more than 60 species have been reported in association with these two fungal diseases, thus far they have not been studied in Iran. In this study specimens showing the symptoms related to sooty blotch and flyspeck were collected from different regions of Guilan province during 2012-14. Morphological characteristics and sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of rDNA were generated for the isolates and compared to describe species. In this study Microcyclosporella mali, Zasmidium sp. and Zygophiala jamaicensis were identified based on morphological and molecular characteristics. Microcyclosporella mali and Zygophiala jamaicensis are described and illustrated for the first time from Iran.