<i>Pseudocercospora</i> and allied genera associated with leaf spots of banana (<i>Musa</i> spp.)

Abstract

The Sigatoka leaf spot complex on <i>Musa</i> spp. includes three major pathogens: <i>Pseudocercospora</i>, namely <i>P. musae</i> (Sigatoka leaf spot or yellow Sigatoka), <i>P. eumusae</i> (eumusae leaf spot disease), and <i>P. fijiensis</i> (black leaf streak disease or black Sigatoka). However, more than 30 species of <i>Mycosphaerellaceae</i> have been associated with Sigatoka leaf spots of banana, and previous reports of <i>P. musae</i> and <i>P. eumusae</i> need to be re-evaluated in light of recently described species. The aim of the present study was thus to investigate a global set of 228 isolates of <i>P. musae, P. eumusae</i> and close relatives on banana using multigene DNA sequence data [internal transcribed spacer regions with intervening 5.8S nrRNA gene (ITS), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit gene (<i>rpb2</i>), translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene (<i>tef1</i>), beta-tubulin gene (<i>tub2</i>), and the actin gene (<i>act</i>)] to confirm if these isolates represent <i>P. musae</i>, or a closely allied species. Based on these data one new species is described, namely <i>P. pseudomusae</i>, which is associated with leaf spot symptoms resembling those of <i>P. musae</i> on <i>Musa</i> in Indonesia. Furthermore, <i>P. eumusae, P. musae</i> and <i>P. fijiensis</i> are shown to be well defined taxa, with some isolates also representing <i>P. longispora.</i> Other genera encountered in the dataset are species of <i>Zasmidium</i> (Taiwan leaf speckle), <i>Metulocladosporiella</i> <i>(</i>Cladosporium leaf speckle) and Scolecobasidium leaf speckle. <b>Citation:</b> Crous P, Carlier J, Roussel V, Groenewald JZ (2020). <i>Pseudocercospora</i> and allied genera associated with leaf spots of banana (<i>Musa</i> spp.). <i>Fungal Systematics and Evolution</i> 7: 1-19. doi: 10.3114/fuse.2021.07.01.