Mycologia Iranica
Volume:5 Issue: 1, winter and spring 2018

The results showed that Pileolaria terebinthi, type species of the genus Pileolaria is not a hemi–form or brachy–form rust species as mentioned among literature by several authors. Study on miscellaneous specimens collected from Iran and locus classicus of the species, France, revealed that P. terebinthi is an automacrocyclic rust and its aecial state is not uredinioid as formerly believed. This species has caeoma–type aecial state which differs from its Uredo–type uredinial state by having different spore ornamentation and ontogeny. The genus Pileolaria is redefined on the basis of these new findings. Moreover, all spore states of P. terebinthi, are documented using microscopy and photomicrography. New information about host range and distribution of P. terebinthi in Iran is also provided.

In this study, two isolates of genus Microdochium (W2 and B26) was isolated from the roots of healthy barley plants in agricultural fields from Kermanshah province in 2014 and were identified as Microdochium bolleyi based on morphological and molecular characteristics. Dual culture studies revealed that W2 and B26 inhibit 45% and 20% of the radial growth of Ggt in turn. The W2 isolate was inoculated on barley roots in order to assess its effect on suppressing take–all disease and promoting the growth of barley plants. Regarding suppression of disease test, pathogenicity index (the percentage of necrosis root disease severity) for the plants that were inoculated with endophytic M. bolleyi and Ggt at the same time was 0.6, compared to 4.4 for the plants that were inoculated with Ggt alone. M. bolleyi also increased significantly root fresh weight by 31.21%, aerial fresh weight by 15.15%, root length by 3.0%, aerial length by 2.35%, root dry weight by 30.94% and aerial dry weight by 12.28% which were significant differences at the 5% level. For growth-promoting effects, growth parameters were evaluated and the results showed M. bolleyi effectively promoted root fresh weight by 60.0%, aerial fresh weight by 38.46%, root length by 4.54%, aerial length by 7.21%, root dry weight by 60.43% and aerial dry weight by 38.60%, which were significant in 5% level. To our knowledge, this is the first report of M. bolleyi for the mycobiota of Iran and it may be further used as a biocontrol agent.

Pythium and Phytophthora are among the most well-known plant pathogens around the world that cause rotting of seeds, root, and crown, seedling death, and soft rot of fruits in contact with the soil. In this research, 347 isolates of these two genera and their close genus, Phytopythium were isolated from the cucurbits fields in Kermanshah province, Iran and examined in terms of morphological and physiological characteristics. ITS-rDNA region and the partial cytochrome oxidase II (cox II) gene from the selected isolates were amplified and sequenced to confirm the morphological identification. Based on the morphological, morphometrical, physiological, and phylogenetic examinations, nine species of Pythium including P. aphanidermatum, P. dissotocum, P. catenulatum, P. kashmirense, P. middletonii, P. nodosum, P. oligandrum, P. torulosum, and P. ultimum; two species of Phytopythium including Pp. mercuriale and Pp. litorale, and three species of Phytophthora including Ph. melonis, Ph. nicotianae, and Ph. parasitica were detected. Among the species identified in this study, Pp. mercuriale was a new record for mycobiota of Iran and two species, P. aphanidermatum and P. ultimum were isolated more frequently.

Schefflera arboricola is a flowering plant in the family Araliaceae; its common name is dwarf umbrella tree. It is an evergreen shrub and a popular ornamental plant, commonly grown as an indoor plant. During a sampling in 2015, a new leaf spot symptoms was observed on S. arboricola plants in several greenhouses in the Hamadan province, Iran. Most of the plants were severely damaged by this disease. The presumed causal agent was isolated from symptomatic leaves. Based on morphological and cultural characteristics, the fungus was identified as a Colletotrichum species, probably belonging to the C. gloeosporioides species complex. By means of molecular data (TUB2 & GAPDH) the fungus was revealed to be C. gloeosporioidessensu stricto. Pathogenicity tests showed that the fungus is the causal agent of leaf spot on S. arboricola shrubs. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. gloeosporioides sensu stricto on S. arboricola in Iran.

The purpose of this study was to identify new species of Parastagonospora in association with poaceous plants in Iran. Symptomatic leaves and ears were collected from different poaceous species in the field from provinces including Fars, Khuzestan and Kohgiluyeh and Boyerahmad. In the present research, 12 isolates based on morphological characteristics and sequencing of LSU and ITS-rDNA regions were recognized as P. dactylidis on Phalaris arundinacea (fiveisolates), Bromus hordeaceus (three isolates) and Aegilops tauschii (four isolates). The species of P. dactylidis is reported from Iran for the first time and also all of the identified hosts are new host to the world.

Jujube fruit fly, Carpomyia vesuviana, is the most important pest of jujube in Iran. During February and March 2013, a survey on fungi associated with pupae of C. vesuviana was conducted in Birjand, South Khorasan province of Iran. To isolate fungi, the samples were washed under running tap water, surface-sterilized in 0.5% sodium hypochlorite, then rinsed and placed onto potato dextrose agar. Out of eight isolates of Clonostachys rosea obtained in this study, only one showed considerable pathogenicity against the pupa of C. vesuviana. This isolate was additionally examined using the morphological and molecular studies, based on ITS-rDNA. Both morphological and molecular data confirmed the identity of this fungus as Clonostachys rosea. Based on pathogenicity assays, significant mortality of inoculated pupa (46%) was recorded with a conidial suspension of 1010 (spore/ ml). Median Lethal Time (LT50) and LC50 values of this isolate against pupa of C. vesuviana were calculated 4.6 days and 5.1×104 spore/ml, respectively. A significant positive correlation between different 3 C. rosea concentrations and mortality of C. vesuviana was observed (r2= 0.9986, p= 0.003). Clonostachys rosea is here reported as a newand promising entomopathogenic fungus on C. vesuviana, suggesting that it is likely to play roles in protecting jujube trees against this pest.