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Superelongation disease, caused by Elsinoe brasiliensis, confirmed on cassava in Trinidad & Tobago

Published by:
Publication date
22/07/2009
Number of Pages
1
Language:
English
Type of Publication:
Articles & Journals
Focus Region:
Sub-Saharan Africa
Focus Topic:
Agricultural Value Chains / Agri-Businesses
Health & Diseases
Type of Risk:
Biological & environmental
Commodity:
Crops
Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3059.2009.02025.x http://www.ndrs.org.uk/article.php?id=018018
Author
Reeder, R.; Kelly, P.L.; St. Hill, A.A.; Ramnarine, K.

In 2007, a new disease was observed on cassava in fields in the north, south and central areas of Trinidad. Disease incidence ranged from 5-100%. Field symptoms included raised, pale, tan-coloured corky lesions on the petioles and midribs of leaves and stems. Infrequently, chlorotic spots with necrotic centres were observed on the leaf lamina, which dried and fell out, giving a ‘shot hole’ appearance. Leaves were often twisted and curled. Sphaceloma manihoticola (teleomorph E. brasiliensis) was consistently isolated from the leaf material. In pathogenicity tests, disease symptoms in cv. MMex identical to those observed in the field appeared at 7-10 days after inoculation. This is thought to be the first record of E. brasiliensis on cassava in Trinidad & Tobago.