The two diaporthalean fungi Anisogramma virgultorum and A. anomala are biotrophic parasites. A. virgultorum causes stromatal cankers on young shoots of birch whereas A. anomala infects young branches of Corylus avellana. Although previous classifications based on morphological characteristics placed both species in the Gnomoniaceae, Diaporthales, their taxonomic position within the order and th...

Studies were conducted to determine the role of 3-methylthioproprionic acid (MTPA) in the pathogenicity of potato stem canker, Rhizoctonia solani, and the concentrations required to inhibit growth of R. solani under laboratory and plant house-based conditions. The experiments were laid out in a completely randomized design with five treatments and five replications. The treatments were 0, 1, 2,...

Snakin-1 (SN1), a cysteine-rich peptide with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity in vitro, was evaluated for its ability to confer resistance to pathogens in transgenic potatoes. Genetic variants of this gene were cloned from wild and cultivated Solanum species. Nucleotide sequences revealed highly evolutionary conservation with 91-98% identity values. Potato plants (S. tuberosum subsp. tuber...

Paulownia species are fast growing trees native to China, which being grown in managed plantings several European countries for the production of wood and biomasses. In 2018, wilting, stunting, leaf yellowing, collapse, as a consequence root crown rot, were observed around 40% 2-year-old planting elongata × P. fortunei Calabria (Southern Italy). Two Phytophthora consistently recovered from root...

Velvet longhorned beetle Trichoferus campestris (Faldermann) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is native to Asia. It reported be polyphagous in its range, but hosts have not been screened introduced range the United States. We conducted choice and no-choice host experiments. For assays, gravid T. oviposited freely on cut branches of four tree species: Juglans nigra, Malus domestica, Acer saccharum, Pi...

Apple and pear are economically important fruit crops in Germany. Since 2018 many apple trees grown organically Baden-Wuerttemberg (southwestern Germany) developed black cankers on their trunks limbs (Fig. 1). These oval, sunken, brown lesions often next to bark injuries such as cracks, pruning wounds or sun damage. In older cankers, pycnidia sometimes broke through the near canker 2). As infec...