First report of southern blight caused by Athelia rolfsii on candyleaf in Turkey

Abstract

Candyleaf [Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni] is grown for its sweet-tasting leaves containing steviol glicosides which are used as low-calorie sweetener. In June 2018, yellowing and drooping of leaves, with wilting of plants and brown sclerotia on a mass of white cottony mycelium at the collar region were observed with an incidence of up to 10% in two fields of candyleaf plants in Samsun province, Turkey. Infected tissues were superficially disinfected for 1 min in 1% NaOCl and transferred to Petri dishes containing Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA). After incubation for 7–14 days at 25 °C in the dark, the white mycelium and large numbers of round creamy sclerotia formed on the medium. The sclerotia, measuring 0.8 to 1.8 mm (n = 50), were initially white and turning brown with age due to melanisation.