Sooty blotch and flyspeck of apple: etiology, species diversity and biology

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Abstract

The complex of fungi causing sooty blotch and flyspeck (SBFS complex) remained unexplored for many years. A hundred years ago, Leptothyrium pomi was considered the only pathogen of both diseases. By 1997, the complex was expanded to four species, and over the past 25 years to more than a hundred species. Since progress in the study of these diseases came only with the beginning of the active use of molecular genetics, many bioecological features of these diseases remain in question. The relevance of the study of the SBFS complex is due to its increased harmfulness against the background of the desire for environmentally friendly production in many countries of the world. Foreign review articles do not mention data on the distribution of the SBFS complex in Russia. Meanwhile, in the south of Russia, outbreaks of sooty blotch and flyspeck are periodically noted. In some years, the damage to fruits in the treated areas can reach up to 50%. In Russia, however, much of the fundamental phytopathological literature was published before the breakthrough in the study of sooty blotch and flyspeck, and new publications often overlook recent findings. In this regard, an attempt was made to write a Russian-language review of the most relevant data of the SBFS complex.

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About the authors

L. O. Marchenko

North Caucasian Federal Scientific Center of Horticulture, Viticulture, Wine Making

Author for correspondence.
Email: lilia_luzhkova@mail.ru
Russian Federation, Krasnodar, 350901

M. E. Podgornaya

North Caucasian Federal Scientific Center of Horticulture, Viticulture, Wine Making

Email: podgornayame@mail.ru
Russian Federation, Krasnodar, 350901

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2. Fig. 1. Morphological manifestations of sooty blotch and flyspot pathogens on apple fruits: 1 - flyspot; 2 - compact spot; 3 - discrete spot; 4 - branched type; 5 - sparse branching; 6 - sot-like type; 7 - tree-point type; 8 - dotted type; 9 - sooty type.

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