Outbreak of Leaf Spot of Saponaria Caused by Alternaria saponariae in California.

Saponaria (Saponaria vaccaria [= Vaccaria hispanica]) is a Caryophyllaceae plant that is grown commercially in California as a cut flower. In 1998, a leaf spot disease devastated the commercially grown saponaria in coastal California. The entire saponaria crop was completely unmarketable because of extensive leaf spotting. Symptoms consisted of circular, brown, necrotic leaf spots with diameters up to 8 mm and concentric zones of lighter and darker tissue. Chlorotic borders developed around the spots. Conidia from leaves were obclavate, usually had 7 transverse and 1 to 4 longitudinal septa, and narrowed gradually toward the apex into a blunt-tipped, unbranched beak cell. The spore body measured 69 to 90 (to 119) × 17 to 21 (to 25) μm, with the distinctive beak cell 17 to 53 μm long. Conidia formed short chains on host tissue. The fungus was identified as Alternaria saponariae (Peck) Neergaard (2). For pathogenicity tests, six representative isolates were grown on V8 juice agar under fluorescent tube lighting. Potted saponaria were sprayed with either conidial concentrations (1 × 10e5 conidia per ml) or water. Plants were incubated in a chamber with a humidifier for 48 h and then maintained in a greenhouse (23 to 25°C). After 14 days, leaf spots similar to the original symptoms developed on all inoculated plants, and the pathogen was reisolated. Plants sprayed with water were symptomless. The experiment was repeated and the results were similar. Using the same isolates and method, we inoculated carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus), sweet William (Dianthus barbatus), and saponaria. However, disease developed only on saponaria. While A. saponariae on saponaria was reported previously in California (1), this is the first report to characterize the pathogen and document that isolates are pathogenic on saponaria but not on other commercial Caryophyllaceae hosts. References: (1) K. F. Baker and L. H. Davis. Plant Dis. Rep. 34:403, 1950. (2) P. Neergaard. Aarsberet. J. E. Ohlsens Enkes Plantepat. Lab. No. 3, 1938.