First report of Erysiphe verniciferae causing powdery mildew on smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria) from Pakistan

Abstract

Plants of Cotinus coggygria were observed with powdery mildew symptoms during field surveys in Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan in 2020. Morpho-anatomical and molecular phylogenetic analyses were used to identify the powdery mildew species parasitizing these plants as Erysiphe verniciferae. Pathogenicity was confirmed on healthy leaves of C. coggygria in a greenhouse at 25°C with 75–80% humidity at 7–10 days after inoculation, when white powdery mildew colonies appeared. This is the first report of powdery mildew caused by E. verniciferae on C. coggygria in Pakistan.

Résumé

En 2020, des plants de Cotinus coggygria ont été observés au cours d’études sur le terrain à Abbottabad, dans la province du Khyber Pakhtunkhwa au Pakistan, affichant des symptômes causés par le blanc. Des analyses morpho-anatomiques ainsi que moléculaires et phylogénétiques ont été utilisées pour identifier les espèces de blancs parasitant ces plants, tel Erysiphe verniciferae. La pathogénicité a été confirmée en serre sur des feuilles saines de C. coggygria à 25°C, à une humidité de 75-80%, de 7 à 10 jours après l’inoculation, lorsque les colonies de blanc sont apparues. Il s’agit de la première mention de blanc causé par E. verniciferae sur C. coggygria au Pakistan.

Keywords:

• Pathogenic fungi
• powdery mildews
• taxonomy

Mots clés:

• Blancs
• champignons pathogènes
• taxinomie

Acknowledgements

We pay sincere thanks to Dr. Abdul Rehman Niazi, Institute of Botany, University of the Punjab, Lahore for his help during fieldwork.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

We are also obliged to the University of the Punjab, Lahore, for providing funds to carry out this research work.