Abstract:
Objective The pathogen of sclerotinia stem rot, a major disease of Gerbera jamesonii cultivated in Fujian, was identified. Effective fungicides that could be alternatively applied to curtail drug resistance were evaluated.
Method The causative pathogen of sclerotinia stem rot was isolated from tissue of the diseased plant and verified by Koch’s rule as well as morphological observation and ITS sequence of the microbe. Toxicities of selected fungicides were determined in the laboratory.
Result The isolated strain, C4-1, was identified as the culprit to be Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Among the fungicides, hymexazol with an EC50 of 0.032 4 μg·mL−1 was most potent in inhibiting the pathogen growth. It was followed by boscalid with an EC50 of 1.033 7 μg·mL−1, dimetachlone with an EC50 values of 1.8362 μg·mL−1, triadimenol with an EC50 of 6.9408 μg·mL−1, and carbendazim the least effective agent with anEC50 of 22.434 9 μg·mL−1.
Conclusion S. sclerotiorumwas isolated and identified as the pathogen that caused the sclerotinia stem rot disease on G. jamesonii in the province. Of the fungicides evaluated, hymexazol, boscalid, and dimetachlone, could be used alternatively for the disease control to minimize drug resistance by the pathogen.